The government’s latest policy is allow us all much more discretion about how we protect ourselves and others from covid 19. Most have accepted the double dose of vaccine or will do so as the second dose becomes available for the youngest adults. This appears to have brought the death rate down massively from the two previous waves of the disease. We can all now decide for ourselves if we wish to go to events and hospitality settings with other people or not, whether we invite people to our homes or not and whether we will wear masks or not.
I would be interested in your response to these restored freedoms. Are you going to avoid busy places and public transport given the prevalence of the delta variant, or not worry as you are vaccinated? Are you going to wear a mask in busy places as a reassurance to others, or not bother as you are sceptical of the value? Are you going to want some distancing from others, or are you happy now to jostle in crowds and prop up a busy bar?
Yesterday the Minister announced he would not be changing the sensitivity of the NHS app. Do you think it is useful? Is it pinging too many healthy people? How many people do now use it all the time?
July 20, 2021
What precautions would I take against the virus? The World Health Organisation says that the Infection Fatality Rate for SARS Cov-2 is that of a moderately bad flu season. We had one of those in early 2015 and again over winter 2017-18. I will do the same now as I did then. Not get close to anyone with symptoms, and if I had symptoms, stay home till I recovered.
And do you know what? – I survived!
July 20, 2021
Same here, I survived Asian flu in 68 on a nuclear sub in the Indian Ocean. All 99 of us got it and we had to do 2 hour watches. We all survived so I will be going about my normal business. I have deaths nhs app so no fear of pinging.
Only those who get paid wether or not have the app and it’s a convenient way of taking a holiday.
Todays u turn, vaccine passports from September. Follow the money
July 20, 2021
John, off topic, I’ve just read that the EU is to ban after market vehicle parts.
Thus will bankrupt many independent garages as they won’t be able to access oem parts.
I thought we’d left the EU so why are we being forced to comply.
More underhand negotiations coming back to haunt us.
July 20, 2021
@Ian Wragg. that was a figment of this Governments imagination, they still create our rules and laws – its a Brino. In a sovereign democracy it is the people through its parliament that creates, amends and repeals its laws. That’s why they(the EU) get to hive of NI as it is nothing to do with the people of the UK
July 20, 2021
@multi-ID: NI is an integral part of the United Kingdom, and remains fully so under the Belfast Agreement, for as long as it remains the will of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland – as it presently does.. That it is ‘nothing to do with the people of the UK’ is entirely a figment of your and the EU’s imagination.
July 20, 2021
Great for the 3D printing industry PYO
July 20, 2021
Now why is difficult for me to believe that Germany would accept that?
July 20, 2021
Yes Euro Parts are lobbying the Government about this very subject (report in the Daily Telegraph)
They reckon if the Government does not move on this and stop it, it will cost the UK motorist Ā£100 Million a year in additional costs.
You wonder what else we have not been told ?
July 21, 2021
+1 relates to the dire EU leaving agreement it seems.
July 20, 2021
Ian Wragg, have the UK government said they are applying the EU ban within the UK?
Does this apply to cars and car parts made in the UK or say from Korea or Japan in the UK or just European cars?
July 20, 2021
So the ‘level playing field’ is only one-way
July 21, 2021
Level? – -this Government has got sloping shoulders.
July 20, 2021
Indeed. Crowded trains seem to be a primary source of catching flu and colds. Probably this is the same so would avoid.
I wouldn’t use crowded nightclubs.
Aside from that, I’d wear a mask on premises I had to visit where the owner requested it, whilst politely pointing out that I didn’t believe that it was necessary and that it was becoming a fad. Counter any critcism for not wearing a mask by asking the critic what they thought the purpose of getting vaccinated was?
Point out where ventilating premises would be far more useful than wearing masks.
As for the NHS App-if pinged do an lft and if negative ignore it.
July 21, 2021
+1
July 21, 2021
One of the main sources of infection has been hospitals. I try not to go there.
July 21, 2021
I really get annoyed when people say its just these numbers or those numbers . These numbers are fathers , mothers , children all dying due to carelessness of others.John must remember a pathogen finds a host , which then colonises where if swabbed correctly covid can be picked up, but at this stage the person isn’t infected, when the proliferation of the colony invade and cause symptoms the person is infected . A pathogen can temporarily host , be rejected and be passed to another where the surroundings are more conducive to viral growth .The person without symptoms is therefore a carrier, either temporarily or over a longer time ,They are not ill but can cause devastation to families.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
Con Woman points out how ivermectin used widely in India to bring it under control with great success. Many studies show the same. Cheap, reliable and easy to distribute. Why not here JR? Is it because if there are known treatments (prophylactics) the experimental vaccines could not be used under emergency powers?
The trials for these vaccines still not completed and still no figures from Whitty and Valance about, likelihood of serious illness, hospitalisation or deaths for young population or the side effects, deaths, continued transmission from these vaccines so people can make an informed choice.
Coercion now clear from Johnsonās statement about passports to nightclubs. Will you and your colleagues now explore whether this is a breach of the Nuremberg code and a violation of ECHR?
So people have to be vaccinated to go to a nightclub even though they can catch from vaccinated people and get seriously ill. In addition they can get seriously ill from the vaccine. What about the medical ethical principle that the treatment is mean to do less harm than the illness? Get the govt. to justify to us whether this is the case for under 30ās or under 40ās with no underlying health issues. Leave children alone.
July 20, 2021
+1. They have become obsessed with *cases* and Zero Covid.
July 20, 2021
Re Indian Covid figures – a new study says that there have probably been about 4 million more deaths from the virus in that country than have been formally recorded.
I believe it is highly irresponsible to advocate the use of a drug which has NOT yet been approved as safe to use under these circumstances and that can have serious side effects if not controlled by a qualified practitioner.
July 21, 2021
True, the experimental gene therapy (clot shot as the young call it) hasn’t been approved and is in clinical trials at the moment. Although for some unexplained reason that’s only going to take 2/3 years instead of about ten as is usual in the case of vaccine technology. Ivermectin (and hydoxychloroquine) have of course been in use for about fifty years and proven outstandingly safe. Repurposing them (as has been done a number of times in the past) doesn’t change that.
July 20, 2021
What I find most odd are the people who wax lyrical about the dangers of covid19, but who seem entirely oblivious to the dangers of the (anti-covid) vaccines. So much for their “precautionary principle”.
It is clear to any rational person that covid19, nasty as it is, has been used as an excuse to impose authoritarian control over us. Of course the numerous serious side-effects (including dozens of deaths) of the vaccines rather undermine the curtain-twitchers’ simplistic utopia.
July 21, 2021
I think that we should be getting a bit more explanation about the degrees of hazard of the vaccines. Some who consider them dangerous do manage to dig up some of the data on yellow card reports – but then manage to misinterpret it, because a report is no guarantee that the vaccine caused the reported problem, and many reports are made on a precautionary basis – nor do they relate the statistics to the numbers of vaccinations that have been given. Many of the hazards are common to vaccines in general, and arise because of commonly used ingredients that can in rare cases produce an adverse reaction. It’s the previously unknown reactions that we really need data on.
If we are to persuade more younger people to get jabbed it is important to be able to show that that makes sense, rather than treating them like mushrooms and keeping them locked up in the dark unless they “comply”. Of course, if we start explaining that for most of them the risk of having the jab is still much lower than not having the jab they may start to question other government propaganda e.g. about climate.
July 20, 2021
Mentally I never left March 2020.
Donāt believe we should ever have locked down. We panicked based upon Chinese propaganda.
I was a lifelong Tory but will never vote for them again. Vaccine passports are outrageous.
Boris is Evil and incompetent.
Never took any covid tests, used Apps, masks donāt work, people are scared witless. I have always tried to live without fear, it is so overrated.
I eat primarily meat, fish, eggs and berries like itās my job, lift weights, swing kettlebells, row, maximise sleep, consume Magnesium, Zinc, Vits A&D, fish oil and various others, all either cycled or daily, avoid inflammatory foods and chronic stress. Get some sun too! Getting and staying lean and strong is vital. Everywhere I go I see sick people, no muscle mass or posture, eating junk and scared stiff of Covid. What happened to our Country. Worst case for me, given Covid and movement licences is my life is over, and my familyās too, but I guess I am resigned to that fact now. I wish all these new fringe parties would band together and give us a new alternative, otherwise we are sleepwalking to disaster.
Did I say I hate this Government? I think Corbyn is a lot to blame. If Labour had put up anyone else perhaps we would not have to suffer an 80 majority Tory shambles.
Sorry to ramble. Be kind if you disagree, there is too much vitriol everywhere nowadays.
Off to garage to Lift.
July 21, 2021
I’m always kind to obsessives.
July 20, 2021
I’m with Bill 100%.
July 20, 2021
The restored freedoms mean little to me on the grounds:
– vaccinated though I am, I am conscious that I can still become infected with possible bad consequences (perhaps not death but debilitating enough Long Covid symptoms rather than a mild cold);
– mass vaccination might have created conditions that promote emergence of vaccine-beating mutations.
Being fortunate that I can operate comfortably under the former restrictions, I am content to wait and see what the restoration brings in the next month or so.
I never used the NHS app. so its ping-happy approach passes me by.
July 20, 2021
I fear the same re vaccine mutating. We should have let it do itās thing. We donāt beat viruses, just outlast them if we are smart.
Time will tell.
July 20, 2021
Mankind beat smallpox, and polio to name but two.
What ever do you mean?
July 20, 2021
Vaccines stopped those two viruses.
Not so sure about Covid.
It seems to mutate more.
July 20, 2021
Polio has not been completely eradicated and is rated as endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
July 21, 2021
and their vaccination record is?
July 20, 2021
So young people (even ones who have had covid) are being effectively forced into taking a vaccine that will clearly (on average) do them far more harm than good. Surely this is both immoral and illegal (it certainly should be).
āYesterday the Minister announced he would not be changing the sensitivity of the NHS appā another appalling decision from the Vaccine Tzar. One almost as bad as when they failed to vaccinate men about 5 years younger than women as the risk logic dictated in the vaccination priority. This caused about 1000+ extra pointless deaths, about 800+ widows, would have prevented many thousands NHS admissions and saved Ā£billions. Most sensible people did not install the app or have now deleted it.
Cloth masks are clearly totally ineffective merely an instrument of government control used to induce fear in the population. Rather like the governments appalling and endless adverts.
So the government promised not to increase the rate of income tax so they are increasing NI which is another income tax. This to pay for the damaging and very costly track and trace and these endless propaganda adverts I assume.
Boris has gone to war with the voters.
July 20, 2021
@lifelogic – correct cloth masks are about state control they have nothing to do with protecting the wearer. They cant and don’t stop the wearer from being infected. In the same vein you have to question the States need for the NHS app, commercial versions available elsewhere do NOT report you to the state they just warn you that you have been in contact with someone infected with Covid
July 20, 2021
A lucky thing there is no viable alternative
July 20, 2021
@LifeLogic
Where are you getting that from? I know many people who have had both shots – apart from a sore arm for a day, or a red patch, or mild flu symptoms for 12 to 24 hours – none of them have suffered anything serious.
July 20, 2021
Check yellow card recording and VAERS
Zorro
July 21, 2021
Trying to read between the lines, the medics seem to think that on balance the vaccines are the better bet for adults, and for children with particular conditions (I would guess things like asthma). They are hesitant about recommending them to teenagers and younger in general. There may be more clarification from some of the trials due to report imminently on use in children of various ages.
July 21, 2021
The reported side effect statistics. For young people under 30 the statistics clearly indicate it does more harm than good. The cases of Myocarditis and other side effects indicate this – and we do not even know of any potential long term side effects. This even more so where the person has already had Covid anyway.
July 21, 2021
Myocarditis is permanent. Heart muscle doesn’t regenerate so those youngsters have been maimed for life. Pretty much as with other blood clotting issues resulting from the gene therapy jab. Still, virtue was signalled. So no problem.
July 21, 2021
Boris is a UK Establishment Globalist pushing the World Economic Forum ethos.
July 20, 2021
Good morning.
I shall be doing what I have always been able to do pre-mass hysteria. Apart from one or two instances, one being no food on the shelfs, my life has not been that affected and I have not changed the way I live. I made at the very beginning my own risk assessment. I was reasonably fit and well and did not fall into any of the high risk categories. The second instance was keeping away from my very elderly and poorly neighbours who, understandably due to the fear mongering propaganda, were terrified.
To this day I look back at the greed, selfishness, stupidity and blind panic of people who really do not deserve to live on this earth. My faith in my fellow so called human beings has taken a bit of a hit but, I can now look back with some pride that I helped those less fortunate and was not as easily fooled as many now clearly were. And looking around and hearing people from one year ago it seems many are now in my camp – ie Keep Calm and Carry On !!
July 20, 2021
Mark B, +1
Yesterday I was amazed at the flock of sheep shopping masked in Sainsburyās.
Visit to the dentist. . . Masks on for a short walk from door to clinic entry, then dentist, Dorothy Vader masked, it was laughable if had not been so utterly pathetic.
Iām a dentist and I will discontinue referring patients to that clinic as it was clear that they will not be treated as adults.
July 20, 2021
I agree with you Mark B
July 20, 2021
Mark,
No food on shelfs. What do you mean? The govt is now actively engaged in psyc- ops coercion of vulnerable young people. Quite disgraceful. I am sure the left/communists and those with alleged conflicted interests in SAGE must be delighted by the dull weak Johnson.
July 20, 2021
‘who really do not deserve to live on this earth. My faith in my fellow so called human beings has taken a bit of a hit but’
– Cheer up! You sound like Scrooge.
July 20, 2021
‘who really do not deserve to live on this earth’
I think Mark might have been refering to this dreadful government.
July 21, 2021
‘people who really do not deserve to live on this earth.’
Someone has been there before you, and he managed to murder millions. Be careful what you imply.
You being the judge?
July 20, 2021
By the time the virus hit the UK a lot was known about it and it was clear to me that a number of people were going to die .Once we knew children were safe ( I thank god every day for that ) I had one thought . “Its not going to be me “.
As my wife was teaching throughout I was obliged to accept some risk but that thought never left my mind and when I left the vaccination tent I thought quietly “Made it …”. For me , 90% of the fear went and now double jabbed , I equate the risks with something like driving. Care and attention are advisable but it should not set unreasonable limits on freedom at this stage.
We will be out for dinner ,I will be cautious of the gym, a quiet pub perhaps and we will watch the numbers. I regard it as manageable if not negligible . We will be sensible
We may have a shallow irresponsible Government at the moment, but during this time I have seen this quality of sensibleness wherever I look .It reminds you what a lot of good decent people there are in this country young and old.
July 20, 2021
That seems a very good response to me. All I would add that it is clearly a matter of good manners; if a shop asks you by a notice at the door to wear a face mask, it is good manners to do so. After all it is their shop and they have to consider several things such as the health of their staff and their other customers. So wear a mask when requested, even if you don’t have much faith in their efficacy.
July 20, 2021
Mockbeggar, I don’t see why I should have to pander to paranoid propaganda victims in order to buy things I need. I don’t have much faith in a cloth mask’s efficacy, and I also don’t have any faith the shop-owner knows more than you or I do about the microbiology of mask-wearing and viruses.
Yes, it’s their shop, but it’s my body. I was never taught that good manners include restricting someone’s breathing.
July 20, 2021
Apparently unless people only wear the surgical masks once then responsibly throw them away or wear cloth masks that are washed each day they are possibly spreading the virus more. I don’t know anyone who is careful when removing their mask and most wear it, chuck it in the car and then grab it to wear again. This is not good practise and I can see a scenario where masks are doing more harm than good.
July 20, 2021
Mockbeggar, let’s just follow the science. Here is Dr Colin Axon, a government scientific adviser interviewed in today’s Telegraph:
“Standard face coverings are just “comfort blankets” that do little to reduce the spread of Covid particles… Masks can catch droplets and sputum from a cough but what is important is that SARS CoV-2 is predominantly distributed by tiny aerosols… those aerosols escape masks and will render the mask ineffective.”
I think that deals with it.
July 20, 2021
Mockbeggar
How can it be āgood for their healthā when masks donāt work?
Would you also stand on your head if asked to do so by a shop owner convinced of its efficacy?
July 20, 2021
@Newmania
I am sure your God notes your gratitude. Could you ask your God why he, she or it allowed Covid to develop? I mean, as a starter for ten – there are lots of other questions I’d be interested in having answers to.
July 20, 2021
Good morning,
Surely this is the biggest gamble any PM has taken with the lives of his nation since WW2.
The gamble is that instead of maintaining the policy followed for the last 50 odd years, namely it’s good for us the more government intrudes into the populations’ lives fostering increasing dependency on government decisions and redistribution of wealth, we are now told to ‘take responsibility for our own lives’. If the vaccines don’t do as expected then there’s going to be a lot of tears.
No wonder Bunter is looking a bit wobbly….
July 20, 2021
A bigger gamble was using lockdown as a measure with no evidence of its effectiveness and without regard to the cost.
July 20, 2021
Unless you haven’t looked the vaccine is doing exactly what it should i.e. break the link between cases and deaths. The government has helped enough so time for you to come out from hiding in the wardrobe and take some responsibility.
July 20, 2021
It’s curious then, that the government does not allow people much discretion as to how much to drink before driving, whether to wear a seat belt, or to drive whilst texting, how much tax they feel like paying or over many other things.
Nor do most countries, over what precautions they should take to avoid spreading a nasty virus.
What is so special about Tory England, and about covid19?
July 20, 2021
What is so special about your paragon countries – China and France? After all, they allowed the movement of people to other countries spreading the virus, perhaps knowingly, perhaps intentionally?
July 20, 2021
There’s nothing particularly “special” about covid19, Martin, we know that now. It’s a nasty, easily transmissible, respiratory disease with approximately the same affects as a severe influenza. We do not (up ’til now!) have untargeted national lockdowns (UNLs), imprisoning people in their homes and decimating the whole economy for flu, however bad. We isolate the sick and the vulnerable only. Which is what we should have done with covid19. That’s before the country was run by authoritarians, puritans, and assorted curtain-twitchers like you.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
Because you are criminalising normal, healthy human behaviour, MiC. And you’re doing it for a risk factor that is nothing like drink driving, texting, seat belt…
Can you really not see the difference ?
July 20, 2021
People must now take responsibility for their own behaviour and make their own decisions about whether to wear a mask or not. In the unlikely event I was to travel on the London underground I would wear a mask when on their premises. I cannot think of other situations I would wear one out of choice. If a store or pub or restaurant asked that I wear one on their premises I might decide to do so or look elsewhere for a place that did not have that requirement. The virus is here to stay. It should now be treated like flu. The NHS pinging regime is not fit for purpose, a fact recognised by the exemptions from it announced by the government. A double vaccine jab does not provide full protection – my eldest grandson caught covid after receiving his jabs. He felt very rough for a couple of days and then got over it. The country must now learn to live with it, not pretend it can expect to carry on wrapped up in cotton wool with every moment and movement dictated at the whim of officialdom.
July 20, 2021
Oldtimer, Your eldest grandson “caught covid” after both jabs? It’s funny how people who have had both jabs seem to become ill afterwards. I know of some who have had persistent headaches, uncontrolled shakes, and other symptoms that they’ve never experienced before, even a few weeks after their jabs. And so many seem to catch covid too. I wonder if these symptoms are actually side-effects from the jabs? After all, the jabs encourage your body’s immune system to respond when it thinks it is under attack (from covid), so it is possible that people may think they have had covid when it’s just a side-effect.
July 20, 2021
Freedom is not the property of the State offered to me by a benevolent monarch. A once proud party now enacting policies that wouldn’t look out of place in Soviet Russia, Cuba or East Germany
I have known politics for decades as most on here have and what we are seeing at present is without precedent in modern times. A virus of questionable toxicity politicised to enact policies and strategies to cement the foundations of a monitoring State with one purpose, to destroy normal life as we know it
Masks are political symbols designed to shame and encourage guilt and compliance. John knows full well they are utterly without medical value so why does he argue his case as though they have medical value? Leaves a sour taste to say the least
A lost party stumbling around looking for a purpose bereft of morality, decency or humanity. Marxist bullies on all sides of the Parliamentary shithole
You’re destroying our country for party gain
Reply Iām asking a question, not telling people what to do
July 20, 2021
DOM, +1, good comment as usual.
July 20, 2021
+1Agreed Jim
July 20, 2021
Dom strikes me as similar to the Khmer Rouge.
He, like them, can always find a trace of political impurity, even in people of the most vehemently right-wing government that we’ve had post WWII.
He would never be satisfied until he and his fellow fanatics had brought similar ruin to the country and to its people either, I surmise.
July 20, 2021
Pot, kettle, Martin. If anyone strays from the path of your approved political correctness he is “far right” or “vehemently right”, or some such. Except your ridiculous labelling is rather contradicted by your own citation of the French for Red (ie communist) Cambodia in the same comment.
July 20, 2021
No JR, failing to take action or hold the govt to account to stick up for your constituents or passive agreement is not asking a question. Most of you should be fully briefed by a wide source of information to be able to reach a settled view.
It is not good enough for govt. to form policy based on public opinion groups after the govt scaring it witless into compliance! We saw Johnsonās spectacular u-turn on Sunday.
What next you cannot go to university unless vaccinated? It logically follows your party and govt. policy. Will this then be reduced for attending school? Nursery? Your party and govt an absolute disgrace.
Reply I voted against the govt measures. I am now asking others for their view.
July 22, 2021
Comprehension in general seems to be lacking.
July 20, 2021
Dom, I tend to agree. Someone I know, who is half Polish, spent many months living in communist Poland before that hard left regime was overthrown. When the first of the untargeted national lockdowns (UNLs) was in full swing here, she said: “This reminds me of communist Poland”. It is saddening that the UK has sunk to such depths.
July 20, 2021
Yes, agree.
July 20, 2021
Dom
Thank you.
Well written, as ever.
July 20, 2021
To paraphrase – First they came for the elderly…
Your government disgusts me. I cannot find polite language to describe what I feel.
Following two of the largest night club groups publicly stating they will not be asking for test or vax status at the week-end, Johnson announces only a double vaxed passport will allow you entry to a night time or other large venues! This may also have something to do with the fact the numbers of those being vaccinated has dropped from approx. over half a million a day down to 18,000 a day.
His dictatorial decision-making clearly has nothing whatever to do with health. This is about power and control over the masses and would not look out of place in the CCP manual.
I am aware you do not support his latest insidious draconian ruling. However, I am also of the opinion the time has long past for your party to act, and it needs to promptly and decisively. Johnson and his control freak cohorts must be removed. They have no place in what is supposed to be a democratic country.
July 20, 2021
Boris is making the party unelectable. Forget the opinion polls, by the next election a true right wing party will emerge and devour the liblabcon
July 20, 2021
I sincerely hope so, as I am getting fed up spoiling my ballot paper.
July 20, 2021
I Do hope so.
July 20, 2021
I am not convinced that will be allowed, Ian.
July 20, 2021
JB , +1
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
JBush, +100. It logically follows that anyone wishing to attend university must have a passport as well. Then school then nursery.
Blatant abuse of power in a free democracy. JR and chums not even asking for Whitty and Valance to provide stats to justify vaccinating under 40 group with an experimental drug with known side effects and causing death! Where are the comparable figures for side effects and deaths, likelihood of serious illness and death etc.
I think I read yesterday in con woman these vaccines have cause more death than the small pox vaccine from 1964. No other vaccine would be allowed to continue a trial with so many side effects and deaths.
July 20, 2021
J Bush, I could not agree more with every point you’ve made. This government can be summed up in two words “Papers, please!!”. Our establishment is riddled with global socialists – no wonder they were horrified when we voted to leave the EU.
July 20, 2021
Could not have said it better!
July 20, 2021
J Bush +1
July 20, 2021
The information from the government, following the advice of its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) people, is that the vaccine deployment programme continues successfully, vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated, infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations that would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS, and new Variants of Concern do not fundamentally change assessment of the risks. So the ‘four tests’ have been met. That being so, I take it that there is now no health emergency, and I intend to behave in public as I always have done.
Alternatively, I could listen to a bunch of left-wing agitators and panic artists calling themselves ‘Independent SAGE’, and go around trembling with fear of my fellow beings. But I don’t think I will.
July 20, 2021
The more the NHS fails to cope, the higher its status. This is the reverse of a private business. And the reason why state control never works.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
I would respectfully suggest, Sir John ,that you divert some attention to the ‘proposal ‘ (?) to increase NIC by 1% on Employees /Employers both, which in my view is completely wrong and unnecessary
July 20, 2021
@David Peddy – someone has to pay for the NHS Staff extra and above pay rise with a corresponding rise in their pension benefits. While others moan that those that contributing for a minimum of 30 years get basic state pension of Ā£137.60 per week – double standards.
July 20, 2021
David, we are told national insurance is not for our national insurance any longer, it is not ringfenced for the NHS and our and otherās state pension, or for unemployment benefit it is just general taxation, if they want more tax then they should be upfront and charge everyone the same so that the self-employed and the zero hours workers donāt get an opt out. It is not fair for the burden to fall on PAYE workers and their employers in the Private sector. The Private sector was forced to take on the burden of statutory sick pay and statutory sick holiday pay, the statutory maternity holiday pay for a year + an 8% contribution to maternity/paternity pay.
The government ignores big companies using all sub-contract staff and not paying any employerās NI why donāt they start to concentrate on that first.
July 20, 2021
I think you will find that National Insurance contributions have NEVER been ring-fenced to fund healthcare and state pensions, a-tracy.
July 21, 2021
1946 National Insurance Act – The Act provided for compulsory contributions for unemployment, sickness, maternity and widows’ benefits and old age pensions from employers and employees, with the government funding the balance. People in work, except married women, paid 4s 11d a week in National Insurance contributions.
Compulsory contribution for…. suggests ring-fenced funded funding for the purpose of the Act.
July 21, 2021
2/ plus in 2002 Gordon Brown In a big political gamble, he will use a 1p in the pound hike in National Insurance contributions to pay for the UK’s biggest ever increase in health service funding. The increase on both employer and employee NI contributions will go towards a Ā£40bn rise in NHS spending over five years. source 17 April 2002 BBC
Ring-fenced funding as recent as 2002.
July 20, 2021
Yesterday people were still wearing masks and large retailers were requiring customers to comply with mask wearing but not distancing.
The whole thing is a charade, of course, as very few of us are in any danger from this disease.
July 20, 2021
Went to ASDA and Tesco yesterday about half not wearing masks.
In the Honda dealer having car serviced and 2 of staff but none of the customers wearing them.
July 20, 2021
@Cynic, in response to yourself and others these are not masks in any way, they are face coverings they never will protect the wearer of contracting the virus. A mask has a minimum rating of N95 and that does protect. face coverings are nothing more than State manipulation of a population
July 20, 2021
Excess deaths in Modi’s populist-led India are about four million, meaning that about one in 350 more people have died over the last year.
That’s ten times more than the official covid19 toll, but the scientific consensus is that the great majority of these will be due to the virus.
This gives some idea as to what laissez-faire can mean in this regard.
My double vaccinated sons – who tested positive – did eventually develop symptoms. ‘A’ had loss of taste and smell – now returning, and ‘B’ has mild cold-like effects, incidentally.
I doubt then, that the tests were false positives.
Removing all legally-required but simple, easy measures is therefore self-evident madness, it appears.
July 20, 2021
You are forgetting the other side of the equation – the huge costs, including to healthcare, of covid restrictions
July 20, 2021
And to mental and physical health of limiting normal healthy human activity.
July 20, 2021
So you would be happy, MiC, to go on seeing people’s livelihoods trashed, e.g. in the travel and hospitality industries, in the hope that your sons would avoid the odd snuffle now and then. In this whole wretched farrago of idiocy, I’ve rarely come across such outright blinkered selfishness.
The Covid vaccines were supposed to stop symptoms, and in the case of your sons that’s what they pretty much did. Move on.
July 20, 2021
Not happy at all, but you seem happy enough for musicians, seafood exporters and thousands of others to have their livelihoods trashed – and for no benefit whatsoever to anyone – for your puritanical brexit, don’t you?
So don’t try being pious, thanks.
And it’s to save the old or otherwise vulnerable from DEATH.
July 20, 2021
Couple of points, MiC:
1. I didn’t vote for Brexit.
2. The average age of death from/with Covid in this country is 82. Slightly above the age of death generally. You’re the one posing as the Saviour.
July 20, 2021
It is the EU not the UK that is refusing access to these trades MiC.
Our seafood was accepted by the EU before we left yet now it is suddenly not.
Very strange.
And no real reason to stop musicians and actors and other entertainers touring Europe in the same way they have for decades.
July 20, 2021
It sure is odd how so many people seem to “catch” covid after they’ve been vaccinated. Isn’t it, Martin?
July 20, 2021
We know the source.
July 20, 2021
I’ve taken the Covid app off my phone. I know people are giving out false mobile numbers and false email addresses when having to give their details at pubs etc. This country is grinding to a halt while many are languishing in the sun with nothing wrong with them. Thirsk has or had no post delivered because all the posties were at a do together and one was tested positive. If you live in a terraced house with rubbish party walls there is a chance you coukd be pinged. How can it be ok to play basketball indoors together but not go to a nightclub without proof of vaccination? The government is too mixed up. I’m also totally confused with the different rules for the devolved nations. I live on the Welsh border. This should be treated as a national pandemic and should have come under the same rules for all. Checking all Covid passports thoroughly???? I don’t think so.
July 20, 2021
You have a point schools are grinding to a halt. This Government has mis manged and misunderstood every aspect of the crisis but the things they were ( unbelievably stupidly )saying to an unvaccinated population last year now start to make sense in terms of risk taking .
..and yet still the dithering about vaccinating children .The gains transparently outweigh the risks , children are already routinely vaccinated. Can they get nothing right , get on with it fcs-
Just once, like a stopped clock get something right
July 20, 2021
Are you mad ? Are you mad ???
We still don’t know the risks of these vaccines.
What we do know is that they will not stop children transmitting CV-19. We also know that children are at very low risk of CV-19 illness so don’t need vaccinating.
So there is no benefit for children to have these vaccines (neither for them nor for us) and only risk risk risk.
July 20, 2021
Newmania, The prospect of forcing children 9under 18s) to be vaccinated with these experimental vaccines is horrifying. For children, the known side-effects of the anti-covid vaccines are as bad, or worse, than covid19.
July 20, 2021
“..schools are grinding to a halt..” – but top grade certificate issuance will not be. And should you encounter any schoolies, reassure them that they have done very well indeed: it will be expected.
July 20, 2021
I would be interested to know out of all those who are being “pinged”, how many do so on a state-backed full salary?
July 20, 2021
Dave, a friend a few doors away had to self isolated with her husband as a pupil in her sons class tested positive. Her husband is self employed and claimed the Ā£500 for isolating but she was awarded it too even though as an NHS worker she was fully paid. A thousand quid to do nothing. They were both negative, her son was negative and the other children. Someone else I know that’s self employed received furlough money and was still working so was bringing in Ā£10k a month. Utter madness all of it and we are paying for this crap.
July 20, 2021
David, State backed or private (ex public works) full sick pay – Iād guess 90%.
July 20, 2021
The Welsh crackpot and the Scottish despot just wanted to be look-at-me different.
July 20, 2021
Re the ping app. I have deleted. I am double jabbed and havenāt caught covid so far. To be told to quarantine because I might if been near someone some time is nonsense. In any event whatās the difference in risk between key workers being allowed to ignore it and the rest of us, nothing. Double standards. If we will be ok in august 17th whatās the difference between now. Nothing. What evidence is there this system has reduced the pandemic. Seemingly little or nothing.
Coming back from Portugal I had to quarantine and was harassed daily by telephone calls checking up. Couldnāt even go to the shop. Yet I could go on public transport for an hour and a half to get tested. Why the meaningless 8 day test?
The physics of āgerm flowā travelling through normal masks makes them irrelevant but I will continue as a ācomfortā. As for crowded places, assessment in a place by place basis but will continue to be careful for the time being.
The government hasnāt got a clue what to do, it keeps test and trace purely to save political face. The NHS failure by staying in the pockets of big pharmaās testing schemes when small labs have developed more accurate systems but need help to scale up is a scandal and keeping us āimprisonedā when it is their job to keep us free.
Double standards for the elite and ministers, āhouse arrestā, enforced vaccinations, I.d cards through the back door in the guise of Covid passports,overseas travel controls.
Straight out of the Chinese governments playbook.
July 20, 2021
I will wear a mask if establishments request it and as a courtesy if I have flu/cold symptoms as is the practice of my family elsewhere.
At this point the app is too sensitive – our road is a school “car park” with parents sitting or chatting for more than the app’s 15 minute trigger period within 10 meters of my office. So I switch the app off when I am at home and will consider when to switch it on when outside or visiting.
July 20, 2021
OFF TOPIC.
At least 430 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK on Monday – a new record for a single day – the Home Office has said. The department said it was taking “substantial steps to tackle the unacceptable problem of illegal migration”.
Around 50 people were seen landing on the beach at Dungeness in Kent after crossing in one dinghy. The group included women and young children.
It comes after eight boats carrying 241 migrants reached the UK on Sunday.
-masks? – vaccine passports? – ID?
July 20, 2021
They have no intention of addressing the problem. Subjugating the indigenous population is the priority whilst replacing us with foreigners.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
Maritime law, which the UK obeys, says they have to be either escorted or taken to the nearest point of safety = us when they are in our waters.
Other than stopping the trade at source, i.e. France, there is little we can do to stop it other than send them back to France after they have been ‘processed’, but France refuses to accept them back.
July 20, 2021
Yeah Micky, and all from France where Boris wants more draconian rules to be placed on holiday makers. It’s a sick joke.
July 20, 2021
So what is Priti Useless doing about it? Nothing, just providing free 4* Hotels, food, health, dentistry, schooling etc at English tax payers. Is there a hidden agenda to ferry them in as we never see any turned around or immediately deported. This a National scandal and another series of incidents waiting to happen amongst them. We dont know who or what they intend. The Ggovernment is failing in its first duty to protect its citizens from these illegal aliens.
July 20, 2021
Absolutely agree.The government want pingdemic but allow thousands of illegals into this country and we donāt have a clue whether they are infected or had jabs.The government should get their priorities right and in order but knowing this rabble it will not happen.They all missed common sense when it was given out at birth.
July 20, 2021
Exactly. The law-abiding will be expected to produce a vaccine ‘passport’ to be able to enter a nightclub (in their own country) while thousands of totally undocumented people, generally young men, can simply swan in across the Channel from ‘war-zone’ France at will and get away with it. The government does NOT care about the country, it does not care about its lawful citizens and, let’s face it, it does not care about anything else but how to use Covid to further its ambitions.
July 20, 2021
I have stopped my RNLI donations.
My family is now far more at risk from RNLI activities than it is safe.
They responded “We deal with each rescue on a neutral basis and do not judge.”
I pointed out that if a group of grown white Englishmen got in an unseaworthy boat and motored out to sea off the shore of a civilised Northern European shore to deliberately trigger a rescue they’d be all over the broadcast news condemning it.
July 20, 2021
Doubtless they’d call be a bigoted racist but I’m the one donating money to various charities. I’ve also cancelled my National Trust membership.
July 20, 2021
Just heard on the news it was 420 people.
July 20, 2021
Fedupsoutherner
420 is the recorded number, they do not have a clue how many others crossed as they landed all on different beaches, even the illegals got fed up waiting to get picked up at sea it would seem !
This has become more than farcical, we are a nuclear power yet cannot stop unarmed people from crossing the Channel, a Known Route at about 3-4 miles per hour, indeed we sometimes try and picknhem up and give them a lift !
July 20, 2021
Boris is threatening 4 years prison for illegals. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Where is he going to find over 2000 places a week? The man is a joke and most of parliament with him.
July 20, 2021
@Micky Taking – escaping the tyranny and oppression of the EU
July 20, 2021
We have to get back to living as normally as possible. I have ditched my mask. I have done my civic duty by wearing one for over a year despite my condition (claustrophobia.) I have taken a double jab that I really did not want to take in order to protect others and to get us out of lockdown.
We have reached the stage where those who are truly in fear must self shield and wear proper N95 or M3 masks and protect themselves. Let the rest of us live healthily once more.
During a real plague people do not go to the pub, a takeaway or restaurant and they don’t need the Government to tell them not to.
If you think this is a real plague then don’t go to the pub, takeaway or restaurant.
If there is another lockdown I will be ignoring it.
July 20, 2021
We (our whole family) have taken the NHS app off our phones.
July 20, 2021
Enjoy hanging around outside the pubs, which you and your like-minded have caused to close yet again then.
Thanks.
July 20, 2021
The closure of pubs (and all manner of UK culture) will be down to the Tory Party.
The connection between deaths and infections has been broken by our efforts and sacrifices, yet here we are. Freedom in Name Only and an elite class prepared to break their own rules whilst destroying businesses because they know those rules are useless and are only keeping them because they scared witless of people like you.
You wear an N95 if you want to.
The difference is that I don’t pressure you to put anything on your face at all…. about the most oppressive thing you can do to someone.
PS
Stop driving your car. You have far more chance of hurting someone than by not wearing a mask.
July 20, 2021
Yes, I would expect you to be so selfish as to demand others protect you, Martin.
July 20, 2021
For what it’s worth, I think you’ve done more than enough, NLA.
July 20, 2021
Thank you.
July 20, 2021
When the Govt says “Ah. Lockdown again. You’re Mum can’t see you again for a year.” In what is likely to be her last year anyway…
Now that I know that not even a World beating vaccine roll out is going to be good enough I say NO ! I’m not doing it.
And seriously . What issue can MiC take with that ?
July 20, 2021
Absolutely none.
Johnson was admitted to Intensive Care with covid allegedly. He was then double jabbed.
So why pray is he isolating?
āFreedom Dayā was a scam to cover up the imposition of mandatory vaccine passes for the young.
I would actually like to read the long and short term risk assessment for the injection. How can I get hold of it?
Ohā¦I maybe need to wait until the trial period is over? Long term assessment might be a bit difficult anyway. Not enough years have elapsed.
July 20, 2021
Maybe because the immunity – both from infection and from vaccination – may fade after about six months, and like my two sons, being vaccinated doesn’t fully protect against infection anyway.
Thanks to people like you this virus is going to stick around and wage attrition against us as people become older and more frail.
Life expectancy is bound to fall, then.
July 20, 2021
Finger-pointing again, MiC? Well, thanks to people like you cheering on lockdowns and social isolation, not enough of the population has developed natural immunity to the latest virus that came along. Unlike what has generally happened in the past with previous viruses. You are a collaborator, and among those who are indirectly responsible for the disastrous consequences of lockdowns.
July 20, 2021
The latest research, Martin, indicates the Oxford/A-Z vaccine develops T-cell immunity, which is likely to last for years. Thanks to the totalitarian Chinese regime (which you admire) this virus is going to stick around and wage attrition against us, as people become older and more frail.
July 20, 2021
Thanks to people like you this country will become Venezuela.
Happy with that?
My O/H and I were pretty ill with covid ( or bad flu) in January. We both lost a great deal of hair and I ended up almost bald!! Not nice. Not nice at all. I kept blacking out.
Our son was locked down 50 miles away, tearing his hair out thinking we were dying.
Well we didnāt.
The jab, however made O/H extremely ill again.
And guess what? I would still say that everything this government is doing is simply not what should be done for a virus. Johnson had the right ideas at first but he changed for some reason!
Isolate the sick and let everyone else live a normal life.
July 20, 2021
The Government must now move away from the obsession with vaccines and focus on readily available treatments. My wife and I have been double jabbed but we recognise we could still catch Covid. We take regular Vitamin D and C supplements and keep a supply of Ivermectin at home to self administer with aspirin if we develop symptoms and test positive. IVM should be on supermarket shelves. It is safe, cheap and effective and lives have been lost because Big Pharma donāt like cheap out of patent drugs. The money is in vaccines and designer drugs under patent. Shameful.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
Mike. I’d be interested to know how you get hold of Ivermectin?
July 20, 2021
Where did you get your supply of Invermectin – I d like some.
July 20, 2021
Mike,
I think you will find vaccines could not get licensed under emergency powers if there are other known treatments. Hence why ivermectin and other prophylactics ignored, smeared and rubbished. Also not in big pharma interests or those āexpertsā who hold consulting positions or large shares in the companies.
This is where we expect JR and MPs to be holding govt to account.
July 20, 2021
I would like there to be a public debate around the absence of known alternative therapies to the experimental vaccines. I read that stock of Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine had been bought up (confiscated) in the UK. In the US pharmacies are not permitted to dispense these, even if prescribed. Why is that?
July 20, 2021
There is no need for any precautions.
Why is Johnson isolating? He had the disease and two jabs?
Is there a short and long term risk assessment for the jab?
July 20, 2021
His and Rishi’s test of whether they could get away with one rule for them and another for the general public came under challenge. Either we all follow the rules or none of us should (preferably the latter).
July 20, 2021
Any organisation which employs people can join the pilot scheme which consists of daily tests and monitoring etc. and prevents isolation whilst clear. My daughter-in-law was pinged after a short vacation and is on the scheme.
They were not trying to ‘get away with it’!
July 20, 2021
Exactly.
And obviously, if they believed their own hype theyād stick to the rules like glue!
I bet if the Black Death reappeared theyād be jetting off to their castles in the mountains in the blink of an eye.
āOh dearā¦we must prevent our people from getting sick! I know! Weāll shut down all the GPs, dentists and hospitals. Thatāll help!ā
July 20, 2021
And in other news Cameron was criticised for not doing due diligence on Greensill accepting the word of the board, but didnāt break any lobbying rules because they were weak. No surprise there then.
The didnt criticise the British Business Bank, that should have had the financial expertise (ha) that authorised the company to join HMGs support scheme, raising red flags shortly afterwards but doing nothing allowing Greensill to shovel out Ā£300 million of our money to Gupta companies.
As with Overseas Aid, letās just shovel it out, not our money and no one will be accountable. I know of small Covid testing companies put through the āfinancial wringerā trying to get HMG support.
Covid is peeling the layers of government like an onion and as more and more is revealed we see politicians, civil servants, institutions etc totally unfit for service.
July 20, 2021
CEO Frazier of Merck reported in July 2020
āWhat worries me the most is that the public is so hungry, is so desperate to go back to normalcy, that they are pushing us to move things faster and faster,ā Frazier said. āUltimately, if you are going to use a vaccine in billions of people, youād better know what that vaccine does.ā
July 20, 2021
I find the attitude of many Conservative MPs absolutely baffling about this. The so called āCovid Recovery Groupā appear to be a group of very dangerous individuals who will, quite literally, be responsible for many deaths. Bizarrely, it is mostly Conservative voters that they are killing too. A government – elected by the elderly – which has contempt for the elderly as we see from Johnsonās attitudes to the over 80s.
Wearing a mask is really not a big issue. It mostly isnāt to protect you. It is to protect others FROM you. Even if you are double jabbed you can catch, carry and transmit Covid. You do not know when you have it. The person next to you may have cancer, perhaps they have a vulnerable parent or child – and taking a small step to keep them a bit a afer really is not a big issue. Neither is social distancing. Just mind your space and your face. These are tiny inconveniences to try to keep our fellow citizens safe. If you are at all community minded – and letās face it, most Brexitists are not – then you donāt mind playing your part.
There are, quite rightly, rules in place to punish me for driving drunk at 120mph on the wrong side of the road outside a school. Is this a violation of my personal liberty? Sure. But it is for the greater good. As are masks, for now.
Covid is with us in a bad way for the next few years. Just wear a mask, stop being selfish and stop moaning about it. You are not special. You do not have the right to put other peopleās lives at risk.
July 20, 2021
Don’t kid yourself – or others. Masks only protect others from you if you are actually coughing or sneezing, in which case why are you socialising?
If you are simply breathing, any virus particles continue to pass right through the vast majority of cloth masks, the holes in which are half a million times bigger the the virus, and continue to pass through the vast majority of surgical masks, the holes in which are a thousand times bigger the the virus.
July 20, 2021
@matthu – yes State sponsored tyranny and control other wise it would be masks fit for purpose
July 20, 2021
Not this tripe again.
Covid infected people do not emit single virus particles.
They emit droplets, thousands of times bigger, which contain them.
Masks are very effective at stopping these, especially since most of them are electrically charged and attracted to the fibres.
July 21, 2021
Wrong, I’m afraid. If anyone is spreading tripe, look closer to home.
The Lancet affirms observations support a predominantly airborne route of transmission and you can search for “Ten scientific reasons in support of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2”.
July 22, 2021
that is what he has just said!
July 22, 2021
Airborne is not the same as droplet-borne.
Masks are marginally effective against droplet-borne, mostly ineffective against airborne.
July 20, 2021
Have we not had enough of your self-righteous posturing? The covid recovery group of MPs are attempting – as the govt are – to come up the right set of policies. They are conscious as increasing numbers of us are, that there is no correlation around the world between degree of lockdown and covid results. Most stark of all is the evidence from the US, where the covid-liberal republican states have in many cases performed better than the covid-dirigiste Democrat ones.
The evidence on masks is unclear. A scientist explained the other day that Covid particulates have a diameter of 100 nm. That means they are c. 0.001 the size of gaps in surgical masks and, so he said, 0.000002 the size of gaps in the sort of cloth masks worn by the rest of us. masks therefore offer about the same protection as a bag of marbles thrown at buildersā scaffolding – a few will bounce off the poles but most will get through.
Thatās why there is debate and discussion.
July 20, 2021
Don’t give people orders, Andy, when it’s obvious you don’t know what you’re talking about. You do not have the right to wag the finger at people who’ve taken the trouble to find out that masks are next to useless against a virus, and that asymptomatic transmission is a myth. It began with the lie about the Chinese ‘spreader’ in Bavaria who had Covid but in fact had suppressed her symptoms with medicine. The German ‘experts’ spread this lie, but they did not talk about the big study in Wuhan, published in the no. 1 Science journal Nature, which found zero evidence of asymptomatic transmission of Covid.
If we’re sick, we stay at home. If we aren’t, we live our lives normally. The human race has survived that way for millennia, resisting life-threatening infections thanks to our immune system. Let’s keep it that way.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
I like the way you put it , its as if they got out of bed everyday and thought ” What ridiculous thing can we come up with to make life worse today” . Baffling is just right, what earth is the matter with them?
July 20, 2021
Ten out of ten Andy. The Covid Recovery Group(CRG) is basically the ERG 62; together, they are solely responsible for the UK socio-economic mess that is Covid and Brexit derived; enabled by the right-wing print media.
Boris’s “Freedom Day” (CRG terms and conditions he will apply) is going to be an interesting laissez faire neoliberal experiment. Across the Channel the exact opposite is being applied. The French “pass sanitaire” is emulating a wartime footing. “However, faced with the prospect of a fourth wave of Covid cases over the summer, Macron said that he was trying to strike a balance between āprotection and freedom, between protecting lives and reopening the countryā and judged that the expanded use of the health passport was the best balance.”
If you have access to https://www.thelocal.fr/20210525/in-detail-when-and-where-will-you-need-a-health-passport-in-france/ , there is a detailed explanation in English of the Macron plan.
July 20, 2021
“Papiers s’il vous plaĆ®t”. Oh you authoritarians are loving this!
July 20, 2021
Masks are a MASSIVE issue !
What the hell are you talking about ???
Wear an N95 if you’re worried about CV-19.
Doubtless you’re WFH getting brought stuff from some poor sod who has to wear one in the heat all day.
July 20, 2021
Andy,
1 I am not a citizen, thats for the eu birds
2 your comments also demonstrate you are not that intelligent either
July 20, 2021
Andy, Your demand that other people should wear a mask to protect you, is the very definition of selfishness. If you’re that worried, don’t go out; or wear a surgical mask after being double jabbed.
July 20, 2021
I will wear a face covering purely as a courtesy to others who may be anxious on public transport and in theatres and so on although I do not think they confer any significant benefit to anyone (I note cases are currently rising irrespective of the use of face coverings). Masks, such as N95, are probably effective in some circumstances but that is hypothetical as hardly anyone uses them – I have been using them in airports and on flights.
I switched off the app three weeks after my second vaccination. I still use it for venue check-in as it is quicker than writing my name on a bit of paper. I have no idea if it is pinging too many healthy people and neither do the government. All we know is the total number of pings. As it is entirely anonymous there is no way at all of knowing whether the people pinged were healthy or whether they self-isolated at all. We only have such figures for the entirely separate Test and Trace facility which no-one can “turn off”.
July 20, 2021
‘I will wear a face covering purely as a courtesy to others’
– This is true British spirit: courtesy / good manners to others. Good on you, sir.
July 20, 2021
I disagree.
Masks are unhealthy for mental health, perpetuate the atmosphere of anxiety (which is their real purpose) and impinge on normal human interaction.
I resent being pressured by someone with poor logical reasoning into wearing something on my face.
If you think it dangerous to go out then don’t go out – or wear an N95.
Otherwise masks aren’t temporary, they are here forever.
I find them offensive and I also find the intermittent use of them illogical – sitting in a pub for hours then putting one on to go to the loo… or walking to an exercise bike in the middle of a spin class, doing a sweaty group session then putting it back on to go to the changing room.
Madness and a total busybodies charter.
July 20, 2021
‘If you think it dangerous to go out then donāt go out ā or wear an N95.’
– I don’t. But others do. The argument wasn’t about how useful masks are or not but the CURTESY we show to others when we respect their views and wear them as a result.
Frankly, curtesy is about 10 x more important than whether masks work or not, whether they infringe our ‘liberties’ or not. Good, old British curtesy / good manners. It’s sadly becoming a rarer things nowadays, especially in London where I live.
July 20, 2021
And good, old fashioned British curtesy / good manners is NOT the same as giving into social liberal stuff (i.e. LGBT – and all that).
There are lots of Tories who wear masks (and lots of working class Labour supporters who don’t).
July 20, 2021
Most of the bacterial pneumonia which killed people during the Spanish flu epidemic was caused by – you guessed it – mask wearing. Masks harbour all sorts of pathogens and hold them next to your mouth and nose. Widely known and also documented in the medical literature a few years ago by one Dr Anthony Fauci – yes, the one now pushing masks in America.
July 22, 2021
Yes this can be the case Barbara. In secondary care any person carrying or suffering from a transmittable infection should be Nursed in a Side room. Staff would put a mask on outside the room and then go into the room. Nurses would examine the patient, Nursing assistants and HCA’s would provide the care and on the way out of the room the masks thrown away.These are meant for very short term use. The mask used in public has a longer life span and accumulates pathogens , however the alternative is more frightening as unmasked people inhale droplets which contain viral cells ready to host. The answer is to dispose and use clean masks at every public intervention .
July 20, 2021
Nearly 500 dinghy people arrived yesterday. A record.
Remember when Farage and others told you Brexit would stop it? Perhaps it was a porkie.
You all thought Brexit was about keeping out foreigners when it was actually about keeping in sausages. Funny.
Howās your Brexit working out for you all?
July 20, 2021
They clearly prefer to live in Brexit UK than Euroland France!
July 20, 2021
@Beecee, so many people risking their lives to escape the tyranny of the EU, just about sums up how hospitable it is over there.
July 20, 2021
So why are France enabling and facilitating the spread of virus outside their borders, to the UK?
July 20, 2021
Generally very well thank you Andy. š
July 20, 2021
Their Brexit is personally not working out for me at all. I find that small businesses with which I have dealt for years are no longer willing to do business with me, and I can no longer source products that I have been buying for years which are not available in the UK. The products are still being made, the small businesses still have stock, but because they are based in locations like Germany and the Netherlands, the hassle of the post-Brexit paperwork that the UK government has introduced has led them to make the decision that supplying to anyone in the UK is simply no longer worth it.
July 20, 2021
Use a freight forwarding company in the UK.
They will take care of all the EU imposed paperwork for you Peter.
July 20, 2021
You think he should hire professional bureaucrats -at great expense and inconvenience to himself and his customers – to deal with the tsunami of bureaucracy imposed by you Brexitists, who had promised less bureaucracy?
Perhaps we should just remove the lying Brexitists and scrap their pointless paperwork.
July 20, 2021
No Andy.
Just use the best professional experts.
Not expensive nor inconvenient.
It works out cheaper than trying to do it yourself.
Better and faster.
The inconveniences are those added by the EU
I’m surprised you wouldn’t realise that Andy seeing as you run your own big business.
July 20, 2021
No, the inconveniences I face trying to import things to the UK are those imposed by the UK, no one else.
July 20, 2021
And, from the prices I’ve seen for such services, increase my costs by over 50%. Great. Another benefit of Brexit!
July 20, 2021
Sounds very expensive Peter.
I would advise you to keep looking.
My company used freight forwarding companies for years.
They saved us lots of money.
July 20, 2021
I have continued buying from Europe as before with very little problem. The only difference has been buying net if VAT and paying it on arrival.
I am happy and pleased that our exchequer now benefits rather than to those of France or Germany !
July 21, 2021
Indeed Chris.
I know quite a few SME companies that have continued to buy from European and world wide suppliers post brexit without any real problems.
So I am puzzled why the companies Peter uses would completely refuse to supply him.
July 20, 2021
Andy : “Nearly 500 dinghy people arrived yesterday…..Howās your Brexit working out for you all?”
It’s nothing to do with Brexit.
If Germany can deport 20,000+ refugees each year since 2016, and even 755 last year despite the Covid pandemic restrictions, why are we unable to deport any of those who come into the UK illegally?
July 20, 2021
Strange. Because during your referendum campaign Nigel Farage stood in front of a poster of the sort of people who end up in dinghies with the words āBreaking Pointāon it. His poster of the sort of people who end up in dinghies said āThe EU has failed us. We must break free of the EU and take back control of our borders.ā
If the dinghy people are nothing to do with Brexit, then they are nothing to do with the EU. Which means Farage lied. Did he lie?
PS: I donāt very much care about your dinghy people problem. But I find it very funny that your Brexit has made it worse. Dinghy people – coming to a town near you soon.
July 20, 2021
They are quite safe in France but are being exploited by criminal gangs.
Just how cool are you with this process Andy?
July 20, 2021
Andy, and there was you pretending you actually cared about immigrants but now admit you find it all a big joke. You’re such a nice person. But I’m sure you know that.
July 20, 2021
Have you got a reference for your claim that Nigel Farage guaranteed Brexit would stop illegal migration, Andy? Certainly the UK could not control immigration being a sub-state of the EU. In contrast, Brexit hands us the tools to do the job. Whether Boris Johnson uses that power is up to Johnson, not up to Farage. Actually, Farage continues to warn about illegal migration, so it looks like he doesn’t think Brexit actually will stop it.
July 20, 2021
Immigration from outside the European Union has ALWAYS been a sovereign matter for member nations.
Leaving did literally nothing in this regard, except to damage very valuable co-operation and goodwill.
July 20, 2021
Andy, did you see Katie Hopkins has got booted out of Australia and is back in Britain (don’t all her sort end up in “no questions asked” Britain)? What’s the betting she gets her own show on GB (Fox like) News, along side Farage. Personally, I am surprised that JR hasn’t yet been offered his own show on GB News. Any comment JR?
July 20, 2021
In response to the heading of your article today, it should be the same as we do every year during the flu season.
This virus has a 99% survival rate. There are no bodies stacked up. Testing school children, who use orange juice to get a positive result, which the government then transfers into ‘cases’ in an attempt to justify its draconian rules. FOI requests across the country evidence that burials and cremations are within the same annual average figures since 2015, which I have submitted under earlier articles.
However, your government draconian actions have destroyed peoples livelihoods, businesses, caused suicides, mental health through job loss and isolation, the economy and denied life saving treatments and millions of others waiting for non-virus medical care. Worst of all they have outlawed human and social. They are evil.
July 20, 2021
+
July 20, 2021
In response to the heading of your article today, it should be the same as we do every year during the flu season.
This virus has a 99% survival rate. There are no bodies stacked up. Testing school children, who use orange juice to get a positive result, which the government then transfers into ‘cases’ in an attempt to justify its draconian rules. FOI requests across the country evidence that burials and cremations are within the same annual average figures since 2015, which I have submitted under earlier articles.
However, your government draconian actions have destroyed peoples livelihoods, businesses, caused suicides, mental health through job loss and isolation, the economy and denied life saving treatments and millions of others waiting for non-virus medical care. Worst of all they have outlawed human and social contact. They are evil.
July 20, 2021
Indeed and all cause deaths July 2020 to July 2021 (adjusted for age and population) are entirely within the normal statistical range (about 4% up on the 5 year average) and this with much of the NHS shut and millions on waiting lists for urgent procedures or unable to see a GP.
Population up by at least a further 430 migrants crossing the channel yesterday I note.
July 20, 2021
4% = 2,680,000.
When you think about it, we only recently discovered there were millions more EU citizens living here than we thought; not to mention the population being added to in other ways over 5 years. So maybe all-cause deaths per million of the actual population are dropping?
July 20, 2021
@SecretPeople
I guess some people should not be allowed near numbers. Up 4% on the 5 year average means up 4% on the average number of deaths over the last 5 years. It does not mean up 4% of the total population. Get a grip and leave the statistics to people with half a brain.
July 20, 2021
Absolutely. Evil!
July 20, 2021
+1
We have NOT saved the NHS either.
It virtually closed down.
July 20, 2021
I do not fear this virus any more than I would fear any virus (which is not at all). I have worn a mask on only one occasion (when attending an outpatients department of a hospital and then out of consideration of possibly poorly folk who might be feeling vulnerable) because it is quite clear that masks are totally ineffective and are being cynically used as a visible tool of subjugation. At no time have I been subject to any abuse or negative comments. As far as vaccination is concerned, time will tell whether these vaccines have harmed those who accepted it and whether in the longer term they have offered any protection from infection from this virus or any future coronavirus which makes its way out of a laboratory.
What is most distressing about governmental response to this virus is the cynical exploitation of people’s fear of death for personal gain and those responsible will hopefully be held to account in this world if not the next.
July 20, 2021
+1, though I would not rely on any punishment in the next world.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
+
July 20, 2021
I have been a sceptic from the start and therefor have always done my own thing.
No to spy apps, no to experimental injections and no to any face covering as they are only a phyco-op to cow the lemmings.
My health is more important and the one certainty is we are all going to die eventually- so!
July 20, 2021
Same as me. Your own immune system and common sense will always win.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
Agree totally.
July 20, 2021
Smoking, drink, travel..over years curtailed stealthily.
To comply with whom?
Now worldwideā¦WHAM!
Plus an experimental prevention that does not! As proved by ODL.
Huge donationsā¦huge debtā¦cash splashed everywhereā¦compliant mediaā¦compliant and silent parliamentariansā¦the dots kind of join themselves up donāt they?
July 20, 2021
Its a brave new world
July 20, 2021
I shall be following the science. The New England Journal of Medicine is one of the most esteemed medical science journals in the world. It editorial view in 2020 on the topic of mask use against Covid-19 was that ā
āWearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection… In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic.”
The ‘Danmask’ randomized control study of 6,000 participants published subsequently found no significant advantage to mask wearing against Covid 19. Even the BBC had to admit that the WHO’s 180-degree change to recommending mask-wearing may have been political.
It seems the purpose of a face mask is mainly psychological. It serves to make people think there is a health emergency going on. It only provides ‘reassurance’ to those who mistakenly think they are in danger, or themselves are a danger to others, if they don’t wear one.
I will not be helping to keep up this absurd unscientific charade any longer.
July 20, 2021
Good one, Philip P.
July 20, 2021
+1
July 20, 2021
I take the view to be cautious without being overly so. I do not want to be lying in a hospital bed wondering what I could have done in hindsight and that is why I accepted both doses of the vaccine. Not because I think I needed it but because it is incumbent on me to take precautions to look after myself and my family.
For that reason I will continue to cover my face on public transport when I go to the office twice a week (and have done since March 2020) as I am in contact with people for a prolonged period. I don’t think it is necessary in a shop setting as the contact with others is transient and certainly not outside or by myself in a car.
I will happily go into a bar but have never gone to overly busy bars as it is an unpleasant experience, personally I had quite enjoyed needing to stay a reasonable distance from people as I like my own space and having it enforced was quite pleasant. I won’t be going to nightclubs but that is no change in behaviour, I will be going to restaurants and cinemas and if the theatre pricing is acceptable will take in a show or two.
With the ease of access of lateral flow tests the Test and Trace app (which I have never subscribed to, I don’t want to be tracked thank you, I don’t even turn on location tracking on my phone) the need to isolate should be relaxed with regular tests following notification.
As we are expecting 200,000 cases per day we should all continue to wash our hands and wipe down surfaces regularly but, most importantly investigate with increased speed, treatments for those who become ill. We need a Beechams powder that can be taken at home to relive the symptoms and allow sleep and recuperation.
July 20, 2021
The numbers that are churned out each night on the news should be changed. Test and trace data must surely be able to indicate where most people are catching this illness.
Much more useful now than knowing how many total cases we have had or how many first and second vaccines are being given is the settings in which transmission is occurring. Hang the potential for stigmatising demographics, it is being transited in certain arenas we need to know in order to take the right, targeted and appropriate precautions.
July 20, 2021
It seems that the government would rather venues, shops and places where we gather, operate a scheme to make masks mandatory to avoid the government having to force them on us themselves.
Some nightclubs had said they would not be insisting on masks, and now they are to be imposed by legislation… THAT says everything about government intentions.
Are we supposed to be so happy that we want to stand in the street and clap the government after having stolen our freedoms, it now permits us some back?
Test & Trace has been proven a worthless nightmare – and it has achieved what? It should be scrapped.
The way this pandemic has been managed stinks of WEF collusion – Everything was mismanaged, but the government relied on psychology and Nudge teams to get us compliant.
STATE OF FEAR is well worth a read.
July 20, 2021
It is surprising that it is not compulsory to wear masks on public transport and in shops. The forwards momentum of the roadmap could still have been maintained if these rules had been kept for the time being. There seems now to be a big danger that the N.H.S. will not cope with the number of infections, which may in turn mean that the backlog of operations and appointments for other illnesses will not soon be overcome. I will be taking a cautious view, including keeping a social distance away, and I would prefer to receive it from others.
July 20, 2021
Wokinghamite, I’m afraid you do not know the number of Covid infections in Wokingham. It isn’t published. What you know is the number of positive lab tests, carried out using one or other dodgy test which doesn’t reliably distinguish viral infections. That’s what the German virologist said seven years ago, who developed the test for SARS using the PCR procedure. He should know.
Actual numbers that you could be guided by are:- those in hospital with Covid in the Wokingham borough area (latest available figure: 6), those seriously ill with Covid and on a ventilator bed (latest available figure: 1), and those who died of/with Covid since 22nd March 2021 (latest available figure: 1).
Then you could try thinking for yourself about this whole sorry business. I hope you will.
July 21, 2021
Thank you, but I didn’t say that I know the number of Covid infections in Wokingham. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even mention Wokingham.
July 21, 2021
Philip P.: coronavirus.data.gov.uk āSimple summary for Wokinghamā
Info updated on 20/07/2021: between 14/07 and 20/07 678 new confirmed positive test results.
124,528 people with first dose, 97,240 with two doses.
Between 5/07 and 11/07 18 people had to be hospitalised.
Between 14/07 and 20/07 zero death within 28 days of a positive Covid test.
Younger people might not be more intelligent than older ones, but they know to do a Google search.
July 20, 2021
Sorryā¦sorryā¦last one.
From The Times
According to Cummingsā¦
āBoris Johnson told Downing Street aides last year that he was opposed to an autumn lockdown because the vast majority of people dying were aged over 80, leaked messages revealā
He also apparently said that he did not buy all the stuff about saving the NHS
He was right!! I could weep.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MAN??.
July 20, 2021
He’s not a man, he’s a Marxist leading a party that is today unrecognisable. How dare they call themselves Conservatives though of course he was libertarian before he became PM and sold his soul to the vile Democrats, Biden and Obama and their sinister agenda
We can see the lies, the invention and the State hate of liberty and now it seems there are tax rises on the horizon. Yes, tax rises on a private sector that is already crucified by this vile pro-public sector, anti-private sector Tory government
A party so full of crap that it defies belief that anyone could ever believe another word they utter
July 20, 2021
@DOM
I bet you vote for them at the next election.
July 20, 2021
+1
Agree 100%.
July 20, 2021
Cummings – who?
He’s totally undermining the loyalty that civil servants should show to politicians.
Boris is no Cyrus the Great (a great political leader). But nor has he done anything particularly terrible either.
We owe our political leaders loyalty and respect. Yes, civil servants can challenge but only when it is something where there is some clear element of abuse of power / corruption etc.
July 20, 2021
What part of the artic circle have you been in the last twenty months Ed,
Boris has done no wrong, lets start with telling lies on a daily appearance. My support for politics is dead
July 20, 2021
I’m no fan of Boris. But I’m much more of a fan of the Tories being in power than Labour. Boris is no better or no worse than any of the other Tories in cabinet. There’s no-one who really shines in the pack. So better stick with what you have than risk Labour getting into power.
July 20, 2021
Drivel. Politicians are owed no loyalty. They owe us honesty and if they are dishonest civil servants – whose wages are paid by us – owe US their loyalty and need to call politicians out. What is so bloody special about politicians?
July 20, 2021
‘What is so bloody special about politicians?’
– Until we show them more respect, then they won’t respect themselves.
I am not saying let them get away with serious stuff. But give them more the benefit of the doubt which Cummings certainly isn’t with Boris and seems to have more of an axe to grind than anything else (I might be wrong but that’s how it comes across to me).
July 20, 2021
They should re-introduce the stocks. And we’re allowed to throw tomatoes at Cummings for ten minutes. So he doesn’t take himself so seriously. And then let him go – and forget about him.
July 20, 2021
I don’t need nor want an authoritarian government telling me what I must or must not do in response to covid 19. I don’t want MPs supporting unquestioningly any assertions made by this government. This has been an 18 month long fear campaign implemented by government and complicit MPs, directed by behavioural scientists and promoted by a mass media refusing to report any counter viewpoints. The damage to all walks of life is incalculable but you MPs still churn out the narrative. None of us could have imagined that we would be living in a country with such a regime. The CCP must be looking on in admiration. Do you know the real reason behind all this destruction and authoritarianism, because logical examination of all the facts suggests it is nothing to do with combatting a virus?
July 20, 2021
‘I donāt need nor want an authoritarian government telling me what I must or must not do in response to covid 19.’
– We live in a community (not a commune) or a purely individualistic world. This is the essence of PATRIOTISM which those on the left want to destroy and some overly individualistic people on the right also want to destroy also.
Young men have to risk their lives to defend our GREAT country. We all have a duty to follow the rules of the government on Covid. Even if we think some of the rules are not good ones. It’s exaggeration to suggest the government has done anything to seriously infringe the rights of people. That’s fantasy. They are just focused on ending this Covid pandemic. Above all, for the sake of the economy and the future of the young. But if people still flout the rules, then millions of people will remain in fear (whatever the government says), and this will inevitably affect the economy.
July 20, 2021
“Itās exaggeration to suggest the government has done anything to seriously infringe the rights of people. Thatās fantasy. They are just focused on ending this Covid pandemic.”
Before one makes outlandish, forthright statements like this, a little bit of research should be done first into the Bills the Government have implemented since March 2020.
July 21, 2021
‘a little bit of research should be done first into the Bills the Government have implemented since March 2020.’
– What matters is the practical consequences not an intellectual debate about the Bills.
The government has done nothing unreasonable to interfere with my life. It’s not the government’s fault that this virus emerged from bat’s droppings or whatever and that millions of people do get over-worried about it. Government has to react to this fear as much as anything else. Overall, Boris got it right – big time – by focusing on the jabs. It was the jabs that done it.
July 23, 2021
The jabs have certainly done it alright, they’ve started the cull, this winter is going to be awful. I trust I’m totally wrong as most of my family have been jabbed. Boris has done nothing right in my eyes.
July 20, 2021
Yes, we have been to war with CCP,lost and donāt even know it. They have destroyed us without firing a shot.
They must be constantly laughing.
July 20, 2021
+1 Brien.
July 20, 2021
@Brian Tomkinson
You need to go and live in a cave.
July 20, 2021
My husband snd I have been making sensible decisions throughout.
March 2020 – first lockdown – we stuck to the rules, to the letter ā¦ once we could see something wasnāt right and started reading round the subject and got other opinionsā¦ we cautiously started to do our own thing, my 90 year old Dad became one of three ābubblesā and came to dinner once a week again, and saw his other two daughters regularly. We took precautions by sitting outside when the weather allowed, were extra hygienic. Met my sisters and hubbies outdoors in a heated gazeboā¦
On one occasion in March or April (or whenever we were able to meet 6 people again) a barbecue in our neighbours garden became a mite too cold, so we did go indoors, just before it snowed.
Iāve not worn a mask since 21June, and donāt plan on wearing one again.
Cinemas, we rarely visit, but theatres we doā¦ but I will refuse a vaccine passport. If you can catch Covid even after being vaccinated, what the hell will a passport prove? And as for testing, forget that too! If we could visit a theatre ānormallyā fine, but until then we wonāt go.
We eat lunch out a lot too, but donāt like leaving our details; so weāve not done that much either, and until it returns to normal, weāll not bother.
And for the record, my husband and I both caught Covid wearing our masks when out, no idea where! And donāt personally know anyone else whoās had it.
July 20, 2021
The effect of the mask on disease transmission appears negligible,
The psychological effects are two-fold.
They give comfort to the wearer where the wearer is risk averse.
They indicate to people other than the wearer that there is something to fear.
I will avoid mask wearing where possible as the only practical step available to me to demonstrate that I do not fear this disease, and hopefully persuade others to my point of view.
I would guess that the first out of masks will tend to be the young and male, and the last will be the old and female.
July 20, 2021
Pat, as an old codger , now approaching eighty I certainly will not be the last out as I have never worn one except to have my dental appointment last year and that was all, they are a comfort blanket like little children cling to in early years
July 20, 2021
Throughout my life I have always regarded the government as providing the framework within which we live. I have never wanted it to tell me what to do or not do and therefore much happier that we can, once more, use our own discretion.
I will have a mask with me which I will use if it looks like others about me are wishing to do so and it is not crowded. Also if the owner or operator requests I use one, then I will comply. On distancing I will adopt the American pattern and increase my personal space.
Americans always ensure they keep 4 or 5 feet away from you whether standing in a group or meeting one on one. We need to spread out and not close up in groups and that is going to be difficult as we are very short of space and the Americans are not. I will avoid small bars and restaurants as I have always done.
We have had less than 48 hours of relief from a host of Covid rules and the media have gone over-board in trying to whip up anti-government feeling just as they did when we entered the first lock down. They really are pathetic.
July 20, 2021
Thank You Sir John Redwood, for supporting the CROSS-PARTY CAMPAIGN AGAINST COVID PASSES.
To date, 9 rights groups, 14 peers and 79 MPs have joined this campaign – We need many more!
July 20, 2021
+100 I second that bryan
July 20, 2021
Is that a teeny bit hopeful?
JR ā¦please..round āem up in the lobbyā¦or whatever you do to get more support.
In the Commons at the mo they all seem obsessed with being fair ( bleat) to newcomers and agonising over foreign aid.
What about us? We who foot the bills!
July 20, 2021
+1 I picked that up yesterday too, and many thanks from me, Sir John.
July 20, 2021
I think that the science for masks in normal life is simply not there, all the studies have been done by extreme lefty scientists with significant bias. So, I have never bought into the mask stuff. However I will normally tolerate a mask simply for shopping or train rides, but will quickly stop when most others do.
I dont want to sit on a packed commuter train, I dont see the point anymore.
I am strongly against vaccine passports, I will fight them with every ounce of my body. For me its a line in the sand I am not prepared to see us cross. I already have tickets for shows in October and I can promise you I will get in without a passport one way or another.
WHY ARE WE ALLOWING SO MANY TO ENTER EVERY DAY BY DINGHY? really this is outrageously crap government and public sector literally allowing the country to be invaded.
I will go to Brighton for the odd day, it will be packed, but I will be mostly outside in the fresh air, and this for me is a manageable risk.
Why are the plans for dealing with any emerging new variant not made public? That is surely the one key aspect we need to get right to allow normality to return. On this Dom Cummings is correct. The plans should not be secret.
July 20, 2021
Yes have been deliberately careful over the past 16 months, have been double jabbed, obeyed the rules where possible, shopped via Click and Collect for all main shopping, have used small local shops where and when necessary for additionals etc.
I do not and did not wear a face covering whilst outside, but will continue to wear one when visiting commercial premises inside, or if I have to travel by bus, train etc.
Have only tended to meet up and mix with like minded people to ourselves, who we believe have also been cautious.
Yes did load up the Covid app as did the rest of our family.
Family member pinged through the walls of their terraced house more than 6 months ago (reported on here) due to next door neighbour testing positive and having Covid, so since then do not switch on the App when going anywhere any more, unless requested to do so, (hairdresser always requests you log in, so I oblige)
Moving forward I will continue to carry on as near normal as I can, but will try to avoid crowded inside areas and poorly ventilated areas as much as possible.
Fortunate in that in being retired I can usually structure my day and outings as I like.
Will only use the Covid app when I have no choice but to log in to an establishment, until isolation is only required after a ping and a positive test.
Have a lateral flow test kit at home, but only use it only when concerned about a possible higher risk visit or possible contact.
Thus most of my contacts are and will continue to be outside, and at an acceptable (to me) social distance.
In poor weather social contacts at home will continue in our large and very, very well ventilated conservatory which has an automatic (manual override) air extraction system, and lots of opening windows.
So far we have been and are fortunate, but I really do feel for those who live and work in rather more stressful surroundings and environments.
July 20, 2021
At the last election I was willing to give Boris the benefit of the doubt but yesterday’s presentation confirmed that I was wrong – he found it difficult to string two words together plus the senseless verbiage blunderings.
He just cant be trusted nor is he capable. The problem is – who can take over with the leadership skills. Stand by for some hard hitting news coverage from GB News.
July 20, 2021
Concur – Boris isn’t what we expected
July 20, 2021
It seems Boris cannot win what ever he does. Slammed for lockdown, Slammed for opening up. The biggest joke being the constant complaint that he has ruined the education of our young. However I believe the schools are having the full summer holidays. They can take a school day off to protest about climate change in London, despite the covid rules at the time.. So they cannot be that worried. I really think the over analysing of every word 24 hrs a day is also unhelpful, dragging up so called experts on 24 hr news to promote a negative view of every decision made. It is enough to drag anyone to depression.
Keep going Boris, I think you are doing an excellent job, even without a crystal ball.
As for the NHS app and the pinging. I think there are a lot of people out there longing to hear the ping so to extend their time off work.
I will continue my days with caution as advised. I will still wear a mask in crowded places. I will still keep my distance whenever possible.
July 20, 2021
@BW
There is no hope while people like you have the vote.
July 20, 2021
It has always been bewildering to us “laymen” why this Government insisted on the population taking both vaccines, boasting their successes but continuing the same strict rules upon them as though they had received no vaccine. We can only conclude that the Government thought the vaccines were ineffective, despite their own figures proving otherwise.
Is it any wonder then, the people and businesses alike, are irritated and confused over the Government lack of consistency and clarity in this subject? There are as a rudderless ship going around in circles going nowhere. They have instilled zero confidence in their ability to handle this pandemic.
Global cases total 141M v 4.1 deaths = 2.1%: UK cases total 5.47M v 129K deaths = 2.3% -closely matching the global percentage which is no more than ordinary flu would produce. So why the British panic?
Sweden, on the other hand, who has just minor lock downs has had 1.09M cases v 14,646 deaths – 1.3%.
To us laymen, surely their figures demonstrate that OUR lock downs do not work?
I would like to know why our Government, aided by the HoC, have ignored the lower statistics from the RoTW and continued with the programme of controlling us “masses” here.
Thus I am fearful there are influenced by the “advice” from their Behavioural Insights Group, which is specialised in mind controls. Who knows where that will take us. Meanwhile, the root cause of this outbreak, booms.
July 20, 2021
From the point of view of the double dosed I will reluctantly avoid continental affectionate greetings. I do not use public transport apart from aircraft. In deference to other peoples concerns I will continue to use masks in shops and similar situations.
At current and near future levels of vaccination, I have already suggested that the pinging NHS App has an unnecessary impact on those at work. Symptoms of a cold or flu like nature should be sufficient for most people to stay away from work and isolate while getting a test to confirm. We need to start treating Covid like flu, the NHS App in a double vaccinated situation is overkill. No doubt Astra Zeneca and others are working on a modified vaccine to deal more effectively with the Delta/Indian version so I look forward to progress reports. As with Flu it will be a long and varying battle.
Let us never forget who gave this pandemic to the World. They are already making aggressive threats in their part of the World, no doubt in part to distract attention from their malicious gift.
July 20, 2021
You have a downer on pangolins?
July 20, 2021
I’ve never had the app and the government aren’t going to spend money when it’s being deleted, anyway. I will not wear a mask. I won’t be wearing one in establishments who insist I should, either; they can stand by their beliefs and challenge me…….if they dare. I have my polite response ready. Needless to say, I’m not concerned about crowded places, and if I was, I’d accept personal responsibility and avoid them. I know it’s dramatic, but for me these symbolisms of enslavement are up there with the neck chains worn by slaves.
You will know that Sir Graham Brady yesterday published a comment piece, where he raised the spectre of Stockholm Syndrome. He’s absolutely right, but it’s the PM and his cabinet who’ve been targeted by these mad and dangerous scientists and who are seriously inflicted. I’ve observed that every single time the government have threatened to break away from the power-crazed scientists and no matter how long infections have been controlled, it immediately triggers an alleged disproportionate spike in infection, despite lockdown. Does no-one in Westminster think, as I do, that this is odd and that perhaps several unmonitored points in the data foodchain are being enhanced as a control mechanism? Rates of infection data became redundant with mass inoculation success, yet it’s still determining policy. Why?
July 20, 2021
Looking back at the government’s responses to the Chinese plague virus crisis over the past two years, one is struck by the lack of a coherent and pre-emptive strategy to control the virus and protect the public.
Initially, Vallance gave advice that allowing “herd immunity” to develop was the correct way forward. Most of our current difficulties can be tracked back to this strategy, which allowed the virus to rip through the population while demonstrating an uncanny ability to mutate into new, more dangerous variants.
The global response to Johnson’s decision to re-open the economy on “Freedom Day” has not been favourable. Many scientists and countries have condemned it, also the WHO and President Biden. We have not yet fully vaccinated the whole popuation and they fear that this (unethical in my view) public health experiment will generate new variants that can defeat the vaccines.
Vallance said last night that 60% of current hospitalisations were people that had been double-jabbed. Whilst it is true that there have been less fatalities with this wave, that may be because the medics have learned to treat cases more effectively as well as a protective effect from the vaccines. But it is obvious that, as feared, the virus has developed an ability to infect the immunised.
If the NHS app had been so effective in the begining we would have been able to contain the epidemic more effectively. Now it’s working properly, it seems a good idea to leave alone and let it do its job.
I shall continue to take the basic precautions. I would love to organise a beach holiday somewhere hot, however it seems that as a Brit there are no countries worth visiting who will currently accept us.
July 20, 2021
I am going to live life normally and not wear a mask or bother if anyone else does or if they have been jabbed or not. We can no longer curb our birthright freedoms simply because there is a not so new virus in town, which we now know is lethal to about 0.25% of those who get infected, kills mainly people who are very old when it does kill, and which for most people is unpleasant but not life threatening – like most other viral infections. The harm being done to the economy, social cohesion and well-being, to the educational and employment prospects of our young people is much greater than any so-called benefit of the restrictions, which, in any event, do not work. The spread of the virus can, at best, be slowed. It cannot be stopped. There is no proper evidence-based study to show that masks work. The virus will mutate. All viruses do and as they do so, whilst they do become more infectious, they become less lethal. There is nothing wrong if young people do get infected. Natural immunity is much better than that given by vaccination. Indeed, we now know that the vaccines does not prevent infection, but then they were never expected to be 100% effective. We still do not know how safe the vaccines are – it appears that all attempts to question safety are suppressed or ignored. I fear that when the history of this pandemic comes to be written, the government will be roundly and correctly criticised for using fear as a tactical weapon against the population to obtain compliance with ministerial edict. As they are now finding, having frightened people, it is very difficult to walk it back. The so-called scientists have had their day in the sunlight and politicians need to develop some back bone and lead. Otherwise we risk doing very long-lasting damage to our country.
July 20, 2021
In order to relieve the tedium of readimg through these sometimes turgid comments I would like to recount an ancient joke which sums up my view.
An old man went to the doctor and said:”I want to live till I’m a hundred”. The doctor replied:”Give up women to reduce stress, give up alcohol and give up cigarettes (I said it was an old joke). The old man asked “Will I live to be a hundred then?” “No” said the doctor”, but it will seem like it…”
July 20, 2021
It’s called anger. It’s an emotion one expresses when something you once owned as been forcibly taken away without your permission.
I see each and every contribution on this site to be fair, valid and reasonable no matter how offensive to the closed mind
July 20, 2021
Like the personal right to be treated as an equal on all levels, in twenty-seven other countries, arguably the most civilised on Earth, you mean?
Yes, I see what you mean.
July 20, 2021
We will not be wearing masks but will be avoiding crowded places.
We will not be going abroad on holiday while required to be tested, nor would we go anywhere with restrictions in place.
We have plenty of things to do at home and will probably go on holiday within the UK
July 20, 2021
To be honest, for those of us who are Extremely Clinically Vulnerable, nothing has changed.
The AZ jab offers limited protection to those of us with suppressed immune systems. We are still being advised to avoid having a life as such.
At the start of the pandemic, information from the government was regular and useful, now it is almost non existent. We are the forgotten cohort.
I see the PM has announced the introduction of covid passports from September. I wonder how quickly the policy will morph into compulsory ID cards.
July 20, 2021
Cummings is correct . These discussions should be informed by data. How many people pinged and therefore quarantined went on to get the virus.
High numbers itās justified, low numbers itās not. As ever this blog is interesting both topic and views expressed but surely you should be seeking something more scientific. From day one we should have had tables of how people contracted this thing so we avoid the same mistakes, tables of experts opinions against actual s so we could see how accurate they were, ignore the useless, follow the good ones etc.
We stumble around as if in a maze hoping that luck will find a way out. In the meantime lives and the economy are trashed. (Sorry any one from Hounslow where that word has been banned)
July 20, 2021
+1
How many people pinged and therefore quarantined went on to get the virus?
How many people returning from holiday and therefore quarantined went on to get the virus?
How many positive PCR tests proved capable of culturing an infection?
(and I’m not sure what Hounslow would think of Shakespeare?)
July 20, 2021
How many hospital admissions who test positive for Covid had actually been admitted for something totally unrelated from Covid and would not even have entered the statistics otherwise?
July 20, 2021
And it really doesn’t help if our Chief Scientific Office Sir Patrick Vallance broadcasts a totally erroneous statistic i.e. that 60% of hospital admissions with Covid had in fact already been double-jabbed when the true statistic subsequently revealed was that 60% had been unvaccinated. One could be forgiven for concluding that the narrative might have been written before the statistic had been finalized. (Surely not?)
July 20, 2021
After reading the comments about masks on this post I decided to look up various sites and see if face masks do make a difference. Every site I looked at said Yes, they did. There have been several experiments involving people and animals and it was found that transmission was reduced if masks were worn not only for Covid but for other respiritory diseases. I hate wearing them but with this information I will continue to do so in supermarkets and on public transport in respect for others and the people who work there.
July 20, 2021
Better still you could put on surgical overalls, latex gloves and be even safer.
July 20, 2021
Masks have much the same effect as cornering a fart in a rondawel with a tennis racket: transmission will be reduced but the impact will be immeasurably small.
July 20, 2021
āVarious sitesā do not cut it, Iām afraid. Itās the medical literature that counts, and there has only been one proper survey – in Denmark – done and published. It showed little to no benefit.
July 20, 2021
Yeah but 99% of people don’t fit the average mask correctly and only a few in the NHS and Army are issued airtight repirators…..any gap in material or fitting and your toast
July 20, 2021
As far as my Wife and I are concerned, ‘normal service has been resumed’.
But these last few weeks have granted us a window on the next problem that may be facing our country; fear over fortitude, faith over fact and emotion over pragmatism. Did not Socrates say, and I paraphrase, when fear and emotion replace logical thought, then democracy is at an end.
Are we to look forward to anarchy?
Have a good Summer, everyone!
July 20, 2021
Sir John,
I take inspiration from the recently departed Health Secretary who, despite his dire warnings and threats of heavy fines and long terms of imprisonment, clearly demonstrated that being in close proximity to other people not from your own household while not wearing a mask, posed no risk at all.
July 20, 2021
š lead by example
July 20, 2021
š
July 20, 2021
I shall go about my business as usual. No daft mask, no pinging app.
What I shan’t be doing is voting Conservative ever again, unless perhaps the party finds a leadership not in thrall to the principles and policies of the Chinese Communist party. We were told the vaccines were the way out of this mess, but the imposition of ever-greater authoritarian control goes on. And yes I know the Labour party are worse. What’s a liberty-loving Englishman to do, huh.
July 20, 2021
JR, I shall carry on exactly as I did in the pre-covid summer of 2019. No social distancing, no avoiding people or places, and no masks. It is essential that we all mix, and catch all the usual diseases, to bolster our immune systems ready for winter.
July 20, 2021
+1 abso-blooming-lutely
July 20, 2021
I’ve now found data on the NCBI website saying that masks only offer a degree of protection if they are made of cloth and are washed every time they are worn and to take care when removing them. How many actually wash their masks? Those that use the surgical masks just throw them in the car and use them time and again. No care is taken when taking them off and they can have the viral infection on them for days afterwards. Bearing this in mind I actually wonder if masks aren’t making things worse if people aren’t using them in the proper way. I’m totally confused now.
July 20, 2021
@ Fedupsoutherner – washing masks presents its own hazards as the agitation of the cloth during washing may well cause damage, typically minor but that nonetheless materially impairs mask effectiveness. A better approach is to leave an interval between uses of a particular mask that is long enough to deny a virus the chance of surviving.
July 20, 2021
I doubt it will make much difference. I have never been keen on crowded places and my night clubbing days are long since over! I will wear a mask if that makes people happier, but all the reasoned views on masks that I have read, make it pretty clear they are not much use. I think we have to rely on the vaccine to prevent infection being serious and just get on with our lives. I can see nothing wrong whatsoever in demanding proof of vaccination before letting someone in to a ‘crowded venue’; it seems common sense to me.
I have just been reading a book about the Black Death, and that makes Covid seem a pretty small deal!
July 20, 2021
Covid is not going to disappear and we can be certain new viruses are on the way. This will give rise to changes in our work and social/domestic lives.
It is possible to avoid (crowded) shops and centres of hospitality but not crowded mass transit systems which are likely to be shut down in periods of high transmission.
So I think it is another reason, as well as for environmental and economic reasons as to why HS2 is not viable.
Neither should the government be pushing us to use mass transit systems more and for car sharing etc to reduce our CO2 emissions when such policies will make us more vulnerable to future viruses.
July 20, 2021
Iāve already gone back to normal and ditched my mask. I was very surprised to see how many people are still wearing them. The propaganda from the media has obviously had a deep impact on many people.
I didnāt download the NHS app but had I done so I would now delete it. I wonāt be giving my correct phone number to track and trace as since doing so I have been inundated with scam calls.
As I said yesterday. I think itās time to go back to plan A, which is to aim for herd immunity. Natural immunity is far superior to the vaccine as it provides T-cell protection. As long as the hospitals arenāt being overwhelmed and most people only have mild symptoms, we need to stop all this enforced quarantine of healthy people who are getting pinged by the NHS app.
Interesting stats coming out of India. At the peak of their epidemic, they issued Ivermectin to people across the country. We can now see nearly 100% recovery rates. Of course, the media wonāt tell people this as they only seem to want to report bad news. What has happened to the UK study into this cheaply available drug?
I would also like to see a switch from mass testing to a program to check that those people on immune-suppressing drugs have antibodies from the vaccine. At present these people are being denied this option and donāt know whether to continue shielding.
July 20, 2021
The issue is not how many are dying of CV19 but how many are being hospitalised, meaning others are likely dying of (or being given a death sentence from) non CV19 illnesses due to not having their cancer treatments or what ever.
Why is it society doesn’t need laws to tell then how to be Covid secure but the same society needs many other laws to tell us to either do or not to do certain things in a safe way that should be clear common or moral sense. Will this new laissez-faire social order lead to the DfT abolishing the law that tells us to pass oncoming traffic to the left and overtake on the right, do we really need (urban) speed limits when it should be common sense not to drive at excessive speed in certain locations or situations, will the Home Office now tell the police/CPS not to prosecute nudists if they choose to walk up the High Street starker’s?! š®
July 20, 2021
Quite right Jerry: As you say, ‘The issue is not how many are dying of CV19 but how many are being hospitalised, meaning others are likely dying of (or being given a death sentence from) non CV19 illnesses.’ So are you going to check just how many people in your area are being hospitalised ‘with Covid’? You will find that the number is a tiny fraction of the bed capacity of most NHS Trusts, if you cared to look.
And the other issue is how many people’s urgent medical needs have been sidelined, so as to turn the NHS into a National Covid (Vaccination) Service.
July 20, 2021
@Richard II; Except even just one TOTALLY preventable Covid hospitalization deigns another non CV19 patient a bed and treatment, for each needless CV19 hospitalisation there is the possibility of two deaths, one from CV19, one from an untreated cancer or what ever. Two deaths just because someone else didn’t want to wear a mask, or use hand sanitiser etc.
As for the “National Covid (Vaccination) Service”, your point being what, there would be many, many, more needless Covid related hospitalisations had a small part of the NHS not been turned into a National Vaccination Service.
July 20, 2021
Iām away on a few days holiday and am finding it depressing that most other guests in the hotel are continuing to behave yesterday and today as if the restrictions had not eased at all, ie still mask wearing throughout the hotel. I see this out and about too in pubs etc. Iām still carrying a a mask and if proprietors ask me to wear one I will do so. I donāt feel āselfishā but there are no doubt those who contribute to this site who would think otherwise.
July 20, 2021
The threat of vaccine passports isnāt my idea of āfreedomā. Initially it will just be nightclubs and other crowded venues, but how long before it will be āpapers pleaseā for access to pubs, cafes, shopping centres, everywhere you need to go and probably even to vote?
What other vaccinations will be required to keep the passport up to date? The ānewā mRNA flu and HIV vaccines perhaps and probably pneumonia and shingles as well, the list will be endless.
I believe the vaccine passport will become a Biometric ID which we will all have to carry to be āFREEā.
July 20, 2021
Yeah, I agree, a number of Government Ministers said “no way would we have them” they lie with impunity.
July 20, 2021
Indeed, let people decide for themselves and behave as responsible adults.
This should be made a lot easier after people assess the patent applications
surrounding covid as highlighted by Dr. David Martin.
July 20, 2021
Once electronic identity passports have been introduced, we will be slaves – in my view, the sole purpose of this fraud right from the beginning. You don’t seem too worried about that. That is unfortunate, because unless the people of this country can stop this now we are lost. It is getting rather late.
July 20, 2021
We could bring taxation down for those who can prove that they have had both vaccinations (on the NHS of course).
Or alternatively, we could push NI up for those who can’t.
Or perhaps we could try coercive blackmail to force a generation of younger people to get the jab – that worked so well for the oldies.
Or how about taxing face masks (rather like cigarettes, to ensure that only properly certified ones are being used, of course).
Noe of these ideas seems outlandish anymore.
July 20, 2021
How about a vaccination passport to travel on the underground? (Perhaps an NHS vaccination passport could substitute for a combined England visa and TFL card.)
July 20, 2021
I’ll start by saying I have been double vaccinated and as such will engage in activities as I did in pre-covid times as much as possible. I don’t intend to wear a mask and where an organisation requires I wear a mask to enter I will not do so. I said that removing legal restrictions and then ‘advising’ people to wear a mask would be a recipe for confusion, politicization and virtue signalling…and hey presto we have all three.
As an old fashioned libertarian I object to the government threats to younger people about requiring a covid passport for night clubs, and potentially pubs and restaurants, which affect millions more, me included. What (or rather who) is pushing Boris to do this? I suspect some of the government opponents on SAGE and a civil service stuffed with millenials.
Most young people I know have removed the App as its pinging for self isolation on a daily basis. One young relative (25) is double jabbed and has had covid 6 months ago, yet his phone is pinging constantly so he’s had enough. He’s taken several LFT’s and all have been clear, so why put himself through this daily aggravation.
Finally we have done all what the government has asked. We were told that vaccinating the vulnerable and those above 50 would see us basically lead a normal life and yet the government have constantly extended the boundaries to incorporate new requirements. Cases are up massively, deaths and hospitalisations are down massively, and the models have consistently been proved wrong. Time to move on.
July 20, 2021
Off topic
Perfect weather for crossing the channel and the ‘traffickers’ will be doing a roaring trade with the Home Office as their audience!!!!!!
We are lucky that most houses in the UK do not have air con’ as the wind farms output will be close to zero in these calm conditions. Why are we not using water and the tidal streams?????? No one has given a good reason so far
July 20, 2021
I neither want nor need a confused and bewildered government trying to dictate how I live my life.
I hit the mute button on my TV remote controller and change channel every single time a government minister pops up to spout more confused and confusing script. I am sick and tired of the lot of you. I no longer listen to any government/minister/MP advice – laughable as it has shown itself to be over months and especially over the last weeks.
I have not got the app. I will not be pinged.
The one thing that pings-me-off is this laughable joke of a prime minister. Plus, of course, the government and almost every pronouncement that springs from the mouths of babes-calling-themselves-representatives-of-the-electorate. Get back to work – all of you.
July 20, 2021
The best thing I have done in years is to stop buying a TV licence. Unable to now watch live TV, I no longer flick the news on in the morning, or during the day when having a cup of tea – or at any time. No current affairs programs. No endless listening to endless, meaningless bolleaux. It is good for the soul. I heartily recommend it.
July 20, 2021
I carry a mask and will wear it if someone insists, but not otherwise. I utterly loathe it, and regard it as a symbol of the loss of the liberty I was born with. I am over 70, double jabbed, and would like to live fully for however many years are left to me, not cower in a fearful existence.
July 20, 2021
” This appears to have brought the death rate down massively from the two previous waves of the disease….”
Nothing to do with seasonal effect, then? Respiratory problems always diminish in the summer. And, of course, they increase again in the winter – how convenient. Just as your government wish, no doubt, to bring in another ‘lockdown’.
Anyone looking at the graphs of seasonal flu, etc, will see exactly the same rise and fall of cases over the past years. We are being insulted and manipulated.
July 20, 2021
Yesterday did not feel much different from and of the previous 365+ days. I will wear a mask in shops that ask for them but confine most of my non food shopping to online as I have been doing. I will not be going into a restaurant that requires my details until August 16th whilst there is a danger of being trapped indoors for 10 days under the test and trace system presently making a nonsense of mass vaccination – Lockdown by the back door. I do not, and never have had the NHS App.
The manipulation of the populace by a human behaviour scientific advisers is a very sinister development to have arisen from the pandemic. What other use will they be used for?
July 20, 2021
ON TOPIC: No, I will not avoid any crowded places, and no I will not wear a mask anywhere (I didn’t do so previously, so I am hardly likely to start now!). And as I never was stupid enough to download the app, that doesn’t apply to me either. I have been double-jabbed, as has every adult who wants to be. So the government need no longer worry about the spread of Covid: those who are vaccinated are safe from dying and those who are not vaccinated are responsible for whatever happens to them. If you are worried about Covid, wear an FFP3 mask, and stop whingeing.
OFF TOPIC: Did you see the much more important story yesterday, about the new record number of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. This is now an unbearable torrent, a veritable invasion. And still the government does NOTHING, and continues escorting them into this country. Why not just stop picking them up and block their boats to force them back? That does not require any new laws or HoC approval. Just take action NOW. The government’s inaction is betraying the country.
July 20, 2021
@X-Tory. As each one of these illegal’s escapes Europe and forces themselves on us it means a genuine asylum seeker gets moved further back in the queue. Each time we permit them to stay a trafficker gets to pocket thousands and gets to sell their service to the next batch.
With all the things the Government has to do, encouraging illegal activity shouldn’t be one of them. Yet that is exactly what they are doing to preoccupied with politicising the wearing of a cloth across the face of the majority to worry about the needs of the Nation
July 20, 2021
It’s what the Greeks are doing in their waters – stopping the foreign invaders. ‘Boris’ is gutless and just a bluffer when it comes to anything tough. Perhaps a few boatloads should be sent to Chequers?
Back to Covid, why should anyone rely on anything the buffoon says? Chances are he’ll say something different the following day and deny he said anything reported the day before.
It must be chaos in No.10. It’certainly chaos in the country.
I am not wearjng a mask any more.
July 20, 2021
X TORY. Apparently those found illegally entering will be jailed for 4 years. What a bloody joke. They haven’t got enough prison places and we will still be paying for them. I really can’t see how this stops the traffickers who will continue sending more. This government is literally a joke.
July 20, 2021
Dear Sir John,
Better to ask the Covid Virus variants how they will react to the new freedoms.
Even if it don’t kill you, can still be left with long Covid which is not like your common flu.
Mask’s and distancing were to keep other people staff not yourself.
Vaccination stops you dying but not from getting very sick in some cases. It still does not stop you passing on the virus to other people. There is not much evidence to show that track and trace has done much good apart from stopping people going to work when not actually infected.
If it all goes pear-shaped the Government can blame us now for not being responsible/acting responsibly.
They have washed their hands of Covid
July 20, 2021
My wife and I both contracted Covid in December last year. We had both worn masks and face coverings washed our hands etc and the normal precautions yet still have no idea how we caught it. My wife was ill at home over Christmas and it was not pleasant. I was 69 – nearly 70 years old and was taken into hospital on 21st of December as my oxygen blood levels were low side. On arrival I tested positive for Covid and diagnosed with a strongly suspected pulmonary embolism and Covid pneumonia. It took a couple of weeks to recover but I didnāt get out of hospital until late on 12th Jan 2021. The last week spent with āHospital acquired pneumonia and a urine infection!ā It was not a pleasant experience but the way this Government the Civil Service and various Quangos etc. Have behaved is disgraceful. They have ramped up a climate of fear such that Macbethās famous speech regarding being in blood steeped so far it was as tedious to go back as goāer seems most fitting.
The damage done to children and many adults through the fear utilised by Spi-b and the other nudge teams is unbelievable. I know all MPs have been provided with a copy of Laura Dodsworthās book āA State of Fearā and if you have not read it, as Iām sure our yes man Local MP hasnāt. I would urge you to resd it an form your own judgement of how too many of your party are behaving
July 20, 2021
The bulk of the people are fully aware of what the need to do to protect themselves from this deadly virus. In the same way the bulk of the people in this country know there is NO cure.
You will contract this virus if you expose yourself to it. Heading off to Foreign resorts, meeting with crowds you don’t already have close relationships with, thinking you are immune are all good ways to create jeopardy.
There is basically a 2 pronged attack on our normality – those that don’t ‘hear, or even care’ and a Government that is so frightened of the People they will go for control at any cost instead of trusting us.
Having a buffoon at the helm after the last 2 incompetent’s is a sign that there are very few that even know what the Conservative ideal is – serving is now well behind ruling,
July 20, 2021
So the vaccine hasn’t made a difference ?
July 20, 2021
@No Longer Anonymous – with respect when did I mention ‘vaccine’ unless you are referring to a ‘cure’, the vaccine doesn’t stop you getting Covid, so doesn’t stop you carrying it. It by all accounts helps reduced the effects. Or as Chris Whitty the UK’s Chief Medical Advisor stated at yesterdays press conference 60% of hospital admissions for Covid has been double vaccinated.
He has since tweeted that he got that wrong, if any one follows his twitter account – he meant 60% had not been jabbed but presumably the rest had.
July 20, 2021
So whatās the difference between a key worker (nhs/supermarket) and someone working in a family business to keep it going or the community, corner shop etc.
Nothing and both equally important. Your policy is an unthought out shambles.
July 20, 2021
I will stay at home if I don’t feel well and avoid crowded spaces. What is infuriating me is the exaggeration of government advice by those in control of public health locally – we expect you to wear a mask when in a crowded space like on public transport but its your choice ….becomes exaggerated into you should wear a mask indoors in the words of our local advisors.
We also need to take more notice of vaccination status and deaths of (not with) COVID rather than cases, the number of people tested seems to be ignored in the measures of COVID tests per 100,000 people, thats probably part of the reason our COVID rate is higher than France, if you target testing on those most likely to have COVID and test heavily you will find more cases. In the latest data I have seen on statista we are testing more people than anywhere else in the world, almost 3.5 million tests per million population, more than twice as many tests as the US or France and more than four times as many as Germany.
We desperately need to get flying again, the logic behind COVID rules for Red, Amber and Green countries seem to be random and murky at best and as for the NHS app, I have read it assumes you are in one location for 24 hours as you cant log out which makes a nonsense of the pings.
We need to get some confidence that balanced risk is driving policy rather than a vocal set of opinion polls or vested interest groups.
July 20, 2021
The Track and Trace app (like masks) is completely unnecessary for what is, now, just a form of flu. The only vulnerability was among the elderly in care homes, and the NHS failed to protect them in its eagerness to protect its own workers from overwork, and its resources from insufficient foresight.
It would certainly help if people were made more aware of the risks they pose when they have symptoms and circulate in crowds, on public transport or at the cinema. Every winter one sees people openly coughing and sneezing on the bus and train. A less niggardly provision of commuter transport would help to make the trains less overcrowded. And perhaps the sociable use of the hankerchief may come back into fashion.
July 20, 2021
In spite of these freedoms, I am not itching to do anything that I cannot already do, because of the prevalence of the Delta Variant. I feel slightly more protected after two vaccinations but, like having a bit extra in the bank, I will not rush out to spend it. I will tend to avoid busy places, and do not use public transport anyway. I am sceptical of the value of masks, but will continue to wear one in shops that ask me to. I am not very comfortable about jostling in crowds, and will limit time spent at the bar. I have never downloaded the app, and do not intend to.
July 20, 2021
I’ll wear a mask in shops or wherever the owner of the premises I am in asks me to. It’s all nonsense, of course. But sticking a mask on to go into a cafe or pub and taking it off when I get to the table is okay with me. One good thing is that cafes and pubs are much cleaner these days.
July 20, 2021
Dear Sir John,
As Covid is not a Highly Infectious Disease, I have lived my life as normal as possible and not in fear, I’ve not worn a mask but give those that glean comfort from one the respect of space, if I feel unwell I will do as in the past and stay at home, why would anyone go out in public if they felt they had symptoms of the Flu?
I’m happy to mix with crowds as are the Government and G7 members, football, rugby and Tennis fans.
I am a free Englishman and dislike my freedom’s being taken away by Government stealth and then being told you’re giving them back which is a lie.
I have not downloaded the ‘app’ nor partake in Track and Trace.
The Government are focused on continued fear mongering and a false narrative to restrict our rightful freedoms.
How much taxpayers money has been spent on:
‘Track and Trace’ (Ā£37bn)
Coercion Marketing budget (Ā£1.6bn)
Covid ‘Emergency use Authorisation’ only Vaccines (Ā£billions)
Covid Marshall Contracts until 2022
PPE Contracts
PCR test swabs for Covid 19 – millions have been ordered since 2017.
Swab testing
Covid Walk in test Centres
Lateral Flow test Centres
Mobile Community testing Centres
etc, etc……………..
We now have Government figures of:
130,000+ deaths from Covid (questionable).
1,400+ deaths from the Covid Vaccines (low representation) and rising.
1,000,000 + Vaccine Adverse Events (low representation) and rising.
How much taxpayers money spent to avoid deaths and VAE’s on:
Health advice (Vitamins, diet, lifestyle etc..) (approx Ā£11.50 pence).
Prophylactic, life saving, safe, cheap and proven treatments (Ā£0.00)
The NHS has too little funding to cope, but the Government can spend with impunity on
their agenda of control, just imagine what that money could have achieved in the NHS !!
Sir John, I note your replies to comments on your questions are sparse,
if you’ve read this, thank you with all my heart on behalf of all our children and Grand children
for voting AGAINST COVID PASSPORTS.
Now will you ALL please go back to work and take the Government to task to save our beloved Country and way of life, I will not accept that all is lost in this regard.
July 20, 2021
+10 Well said.
July 20, 2021
Adrian T – thanks for reminding me that we’ve spent Ā£37bn on ‘track n trace’
******Ā£37billion *****
July 20, 2021
Veterinary control measures against livestock plagues grew into a well-honed system of strategies – sometimes they needed to be draconian, but they were always proportionate and followed sound legal principles. This began to change in 2001, when the Veterinary Service was side-lined and Tony Blair, with an Election approaching, brought in the advice of scientific experts from Imperial College and their computer modelling approach. We got to know them only too well! It all sounded very plausible, but from the front-line, I saw just how devastating this new approach was, with tragic consequences for large numbers of livestock owners whom I was privileged to minister to in mitigation, wherever I could. This clever madness (‘strong delusion’) is now endemic on many fronts across the nations of the world, and seems beyond our control. Maranatha!
July 20, 2021
On one hand Government interference in areas in which they have no first hand experience, know nothing about and will never understand and it has never achieved a positive outcome.
On the other hand there has been Blair, who damaged or destroyed everything he touched. Cameron who called himself ‘heir to Blair’ continued the damage. Closely followed by May and now Johnson.
It begs the question was/is the damage these politicians have done to our country over the last 20 odd years, out of ignorance or deliberate. Sadly, as time goes on I am inclined to believe the latter. I certainly do where Johnson is concerned.
July 20, 2021
It’s seasonal and will return in the winter…like the flu!?
I’ve been maskless for a while so I’ll be carrying on with my life as normal.
July 20, 2021
JR
“The governmentās latest policy is allow us all much more discretion about how we protect ourselves and others ”
SJR, my understanding is somewhat different to yours and I shall stick my neck out and claim to be correct, because I and millions like me are on the actual receiving end of Johnson’s con tricks.
Johnson tells us we are not legally required to wear face masks, yet has done nothing whatsoever to ensure we are not forced to wear them by shops, employers etc.
Johnson’s message is clearly thus – ‘from 19th July you don’t have to wear a face mask……but you still have to wear a face mask and it isn’t me making you do it’ .
I suggest Johnson knows he’s in serious trouble with the people and this is a pathetic attempt at trying to make himself look like the nice guy while at the same time keeping the masks on.
Classic cake-ism, this con merchant is fooling no one…….masks were never coming off and this way he thinks someone else will get the blame.
BTW – why did Johnson allow a French naval vessel to escort illegal migrants three miles inside British territorial waters ? any ideas JR ? or are you once again going to try telling us that Johnson’s government is serious about stopping illegal immigration ?
Boris Johnson is finished Mr Redwood, along with his Home Secretary. We will see to it.
July 20, 2021
Looking at the statistics it is clear that the vaccines work to reduce deaths very substantially (to the point where they barely show up on a chart that incorporates last winter – about 1 in 2,000 cases, as against about 1 in 50), and hospitalisations very significantly (cases in the winter were almost 4 times as likely to go to hospital), while also reducing transmission risk. The track and trace system does not seem to work at all, in line with what we should expect given its modus operandi: it should be abandoned, and with it all the isolation that is enforced long after the horse has bolted, and largely pointlessly among the already vaccinated and previous cases with built up immunity. It seems quite likely that we have a spike related to exuberant support for the football that may well subside in coming days. New cases are dominated by those under 30, who also are the least vaccinated.
There is a large residue of fear in the population as a result of constant behavioural propaganda which means that many are not going to take big risks. It is evident that among the elderly, infection and hospitalisation rates are lower (yes, lower) than would be expected given their vaccination status alone, with some infection expected even among the doubly jabbed, as well as among the 5% who have had no jab (some probably for good medical reasons). It’s time the Orwellian experiment was ended, and instead of feeding misinformation we should see more honesty and balance in government announcements. We have seen totally different messages on masks over time, and vaccines for younger age groups – previously unnecessary, now like an American Express card – don’t leave home without it. There are plenty of other examples of ghoulish government/SAGE behaviour. It might do no harm to sack some SAGE members as a part of changing the messaging, despite the howls of rage from the BBC that would doubtless provoke.
July 21, 2021
I offer the following charts, all drawn from government dashboard data for England and the latest PHE vaccine surveillance report.
Vaccine uptake by age cohort
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-0b8ab056-9d29-426e-a394-1de8a9b12171
Current case incidence and effective risk from degree of vaccination by age cohort (using Delta variant estimated vaccine effectiveness) – demonstrates a strong link
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-06b1611b-f778-495a-bdd3-a02d836a6193
Case numbers as measured by positive tests by age cohort (N.B. it is likely that the original epidemic was under-measured because of insufficient testing)
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-9bbcd22a-933f-4e35-8b8d-319d983d10f2
Proportions of positive tests by age cohort
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-9edb1b0c-0543-443e-9582-5b3dfb84d63f
Hospitalisations by age group (unfortunately not much age detail from PHE)
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-9f1e0afb-9af0-4c98-a931-9477d0e66968
Proportions of hospitalisations by broad age groups (note the decline in over 65s as the vaccine kicks in)
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-b7c98568-461f-41da-86f4-ff5c202a1fa8
Deaths by age cohort – close to zero since the vaccination of the elderly
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-6eb40da1-164d-4d30-b5d1-d51d249b52f1
Proportions of deaths by age cohort – becomes volatile when deaths are few, but clearly elderly now much better protected
https://image.vuukle.com/9ffc6604-feed-474e-a82d-c2de2f561502-224b8efb-6c0e-45ac-99e0-b2f46629a7c4
July 21, 2021
The government’s advice is scientifically illiterate and utterly shameful. It is proven that masks work in reducing, not eliminating, the chances of transmitting Covid. It is more effective when everyone wears one. People here in Asia don’t complain, in fact will voluntarily wear a mask (pre-Covid) whenever they feel unwell. Here in HK we haven’t had any domestic cases for well over a month and everyone, without exception, has been wearing masks for over a year.
The only reported cases here over the last 5 weeks have been imported and picked up at the airport testing centre and yet I read today that UK border officials are no longer required to make basic Covid checks on people arriving in England from green and amber list countries. It is utter madness, why are the government allowing this?
July 21, 2021
See my comment below, Warwick.
July 21, 2021
Owen Jones writes today:
“Dominic Cummingsā latest utterances should not be treated as revelations, but rather as corroborating evidence of what should, in a functioning democracy, be treated as Britainās gravest peacetime scandal. A prime minister sent tens of thousands of his own citizens to premature graves because he valued other considerations more highly than human life.”
He is able to do this with impunity for one simple reason, as we see above in this thread.
His voters value other considerations more highly than human life.
This is the real disaster affecting this country.
July 21, 2021
So not at all biased.
Owen Jones comments on Cummings.
Not so long ago you lefties were telling us not to trust a word he said.
Genuinely hilarious MiC
July 22, 2021
Why doesn’t Johnson sue then?
Thank you for proving my main point, however.
July 22, 2021
Your main point fails because it is made by totally biased enemies of the Prime Minister.
Suddenly you lefties believe and delight in every word of Cummings.
Your new hero.
A man who you not so long ago you denounced as a liar and called for him to be sacked.
July 21, 2021
At this moment in time we know enough about the virus that lockdowns do not work (plenty of empirical studies out there), masks don’t work (Danmask study) and the case for asymptomatic transmission hasn’t been proven. I’m not in the age range or have a comorbidity than I need to worry, unduly, about Covid 19 and so I won’t be worrying about it.
I do worry about the mental health of the nation after the psyops they have been subjected to this last 18 months.
July 22, 2021
The End is near for the globalists, the rubbish tip awaits.
July 22, 2021
My opinion is that your are childish obstinate children who won’t do as you are told. If masks work to some degree, wear them. We in the NHS will continue to do the right thing and we also want to be protected , especially from you know it alls who know very little.
July 22, 2021
84 deaths today
so we did far better this time last year with no vax.
what a farce